Deal with the Devil
by Wolflyn
Summary: While investigating a minor disturbance in the underground city of New Mauville, Steven Stone uncovers a plot that will shake Hoenn to its very core. Faced with a ruthless organization that will stop at nothing to achieve their goal, the Hoenn League must race against time to save both their region and their Champion. Set prior to the events of R/S/E.
1. Chapter 1 - Steven

**AN: After several years and quite a bit of anxiety, this story is seeing the light of day. This is the first story I started writing after a long hiatus from fanfiction, predating anything else I've posted here. As such, it is not meant to be continuous with the same universe set up in both _The Long Road_ and the _Short Story Collection_, though the characterization is consistent with my general head canon for these characters.**

**Note: There are some scenes of violence, though none are graphic enough to warrant more than the T rating. If there are any readers who may be concerned about this kind of content, I can provide a warning at the beginning of chapters. Please let me know if you would like these warnings, otherwise I will leave them out in the interest of maintaining the suspense of the story.**

**I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

Deal with the Devil

[Chapter 1]

* * *

The ringing of the telephone interrupted the staring contest I was having with the stack of papers that had appeared on my desk that morning. I blinked, and with a silent promise that they may have won this battle, but not the war, I answered.

"Hello, Steven Stone speaking."

"Steven, my boy! How are you doing?" The booming voice on the other end of the line needed no introduction.

"Ah, Wattson, I'm doing well. To what do I owe the pleasure?"

"Wahaha that's good to hear! Everyone is too glum these days."

He wasn't wrong, per se. Things had been slow with the League lately, so the Elite Four had agreed to take a short recess for the week. I had taken the opportunity to catch up on some paperwork for the league, and also to help out my father with the research on the Devon submarine currently in development. With the recent discovery of the ancient forms of both Kyogre and Groudon, a research expedition had been funded to travel to the newly discovered seafloor cavern in an attempt to learn more about their primal power. With such an exciting opportunity, it had been all hands on deck at Devon since the grant had passed. My father was working overtime nearly every day, and I had offered to spend my free time to help with the expedition's preparations. Needless to say, in the last few weeks I hadn't spent much time socializing, and from the sounds of it, neither had anyone else.

"Anyway, I know you like to get right to the point, so here's why I called. Would you be able to stop by New Mauville and check out what's been causing these funky readings we've been getting?"

"Funky readings?"

"Come now, it's official scientific jargon! Wahahaha!"

I managed a chuckle. Wattson had never been an analytical mind. Perhaps that's why the man had such influence in Mauville; a Leader of the people, not some scientific shut-in.

"So something odd is happening in New Mauville, and you'd like me to check it out?"

"You've got it, my boy! I'd do it myself, but we've got festival preparations to celebrate the opening of the new Food Court. You can't have a battle café and have the Mauville Gym Leader not be in attendance! That and you've always been a whiz at computers. Troubleshooting is probably more your style than mine."

Not the most thrilling assignment, if I was honest, but as my eyes trailed across the mess I called my desk, I quickly reconsidered the desire to reject Wattson's request; my stellar win-loss record would be in jeopardy if I took any more defeats from the unflappable paperwork before me. I needed to get out of the League office, and what was the harm in helping out not just a Gym Leader, but a friend?

"It's not a problem, Wattson. I've been cooped up inside for far too long, I could use a chance to stretch my legs and look at something other than fine print. I can be there later today, if that's all right."

"Wahahaha that'd be perfect!"

"So what exactly should I be looking for when I arrive?"

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not really sure," Wattson sounded genuinely puzzled. "We've had some odd power fluctuations from the main computer core. I figured you may have a better idea than me if you got your hands on the control panel down there. I'm all thumbs when it comes to that kinda stuff, wahaha! Nuts and bolts are more my style. Anyway, the main computer is at the back of the second level. I'll have a map of the place sent to your PokeNav. Well, _I_ won't, but someone at the Gym is bound to know how to do it!"

"I can certainly take a look at the mainframe. Although, won't I need some sort of access credentials to log in?"

"Ah, it shouldn't be a problem, my boy. Your Devon credentials should get you in. They did purchase the rights to all of Mauville Holding's property way back when. I bet your dad would know where to find the password."

My father. As soon as he had gotten the go ahead, he had poured every waking hour into the Seafloor Expedition preparations. No challenge was too great for the Devon Corporation, although I knew the real reason he became so personally invested in the expedition was that, like me, the man couldn't resist the thrill of adventure. No human had ever been down to the depths of the Mossdeep-Sootopolis Trench. Being able to have a hand in exploring uncharted territories was a dream come true. If I didn't already know the truth, I swear the family motto could have been 'Leave no stone unturned'. Once my father had his mind made up, he was nothing short of thorough and exhaustive in his quest to achieve his goal. I guess that runs in the family too.

"I'll give my father a call when I'm on my way. Thank you, Wattson. Hopefully I can get to the bottom of your troubles before the festival. I'd certainly like to come by to see you battle at the new Food Court."

"Wahahaha, fantastic! I hope it's not too much trouble. Oh, one more thing…" His tone dropped, and I felt my eyes narrow. Wattson was never one to be so serious.

"I would make sure your pokemon are well rested, because if you show up at the Food Court, I may have to challenge you to a battle myself! Wahahaha!"

I sighed and laughed into the receiver. "Of course, I would be happy to oblige. Although I have to issue a warning of my own; my team has been eager for a good battle for some time now. Make sure to wrap up any preliminary matches as smoothly as you can."

"Wahaha, I'm getting all charged up just thinkin' about it! Thanks for helping an old man out. One of these days you'll have to teach me a thing or two about all these fancy computer systems!"

"It would be my pleasure. I'll see you at the festival. Goodbye, Wattson."

"Bye, Steven. And thanks again!"

I hung up the phone and smiled to myself. Mainframe terminal troubleshooting wasn't the most glamorous task, but at least it would get me out of Ever Grande for a while. As much as I loved reading and research, I needed to get away from this paperwork for a spell. And although it wasn't true field work, it would be nice to have my partners at my side for something other than official League duty.

The desk chair slid back with a small squeak as I strode across the room to the casework on the far side. I slid the glass panel open and gave a warm smile to the pokeballs resting inside.

"Are you ready to go on an adventure? It's not the most exciting one, I know, but it's better than being cooped up here, I promise."

The pokeballs rocked gently, giving me all the assurance I needed that my team was just as eager to escape Ever Grande as I was. I collected the pokeballs and attached them to my belt. It felt like overkill to bring all six, but it felt unfair to leave any behind, especially with Wattson's challenge at the Food Court afterward.

"Would any of you prefer to stay home for this one?"

When no quiver of movement came from the pokeballs at my hip, I had my answer.

"Okay then, let's go to New Mauville. Skarmory, if you please." I stepped out into the fresh Ever Grande City air, and tossed a pokeball. My trusty steel-winged pokemon appeared and greeted me with a sharp metallic cry followed by a softer trill as I patted its crest. "It's good to take a trip with you again, too."

Skarmory dipped its back toward me, and I mounted the bird with ease.

"Let's go."

With another cry, Skarmory spread its wings and we took off into the late morning sky.

* * *

We touched down on Route 110 around one in the afternoon. Fortunate timing, as my father was probably wrapping up his lunch-time meeting and would be available for a quick phone call about the New Mauville mainframe credentials.

I pulled out my PokeNav and rubbed Skarmory's neck absentmindedly as we rested under the shade of the bike path. The unimpeded sun overhead was a bit too intense for the both of us. A dark suit and a metal body didn't fare well in direct Hoenn sunshine. The call only rang twice before the familiar voice picked up.

"Son! What a pleasant surprise! How is everything going with the research and the League?"

"Hi, Dad. Things are a bit slow, with the League I mean. It's given me more time to work on the expedition research. Although that's not actually why I'm calling." I had to cut right to the chase, or else he'd happily spend the better part of an hour wanting to chit chat about every little thing. Not that I didn't _want_ to talk with my father, I just didn't have the luxury of time right at the moment.

"No? Oh, then do tell. Have you found yourself a lovely young lady during the down time? You can always confide in your old man y'know!"

I groaned. It was definitely loud enough for him to have heard on the other end of the line. I didn't care.

"No, Dad. It's actually about New Mauville. Specifically the mainframe computer access codes."

"Oh." He didn't try to hide the disappointment in his tone. I ignored the comment and continued.

"Wattson mentioned that the company would have the codes to the central computer since they purchased all of Mauville Holding Company's property. Can you dig up those codes and send them to me? I'm doing a favor for Wattson and I need to be able to log in."

"Ah, codes for New Mauville, eh?" I could hear papers shuffling in the background. "Give me one second. I think I know where to find them." More shuffling, then the clack of keyboard keys. "What's Wattson got you doing down there anyway? Isn't New Mauville his pet project?"

"I'm not really sure, to be honest. He asked me to take a look at the mainframe to see if it's the cause of some strange energy fluctuations they've been getting. Computers really aren't his forte."

"Well, you be careful down there, Steven. You never know what could be behind some odd happenings in an abandoned underground city."

"I'll be careful, Dad, you know me." My PokeNav beeped twice, and I quickly glanced at the screen to confirm that the log in codes had safely arrived. There's no doubt, for all of my father's teasing, he never lost focus on the task at hand. Like father, like son.

"I got them, thanks, Dad. I don't anticipate too much hassle with this one though. I'll probably remain in Mauville proper when I'm finished. Wattson mentioned there's a festival going on to celebrate the new Food Court grand opening. An appearance by someone from the League could make it even more festive."

"That's the spirit! I'll keep an eye on the BuzzNav for word of your imminent victory." That got a genuine laugh from me. Despite everything, my father had always been my biggest fan.

"I'll make it quick so I can jump back into the expedition research."

"Nonsense! I'd say you've earned some time off, son. Relax and have fun at the festival. The research can wait until you get back."

"Thanks, Dad. I've got to go."

"Goodbye, Steven."

I was already on my feet as I hung up my PokeNav. As I turned to return Skarmory to his pokeball, a small signboard caught my eye. The red graffiti scrawled across it appeared to be claiming the shady area beneath the bike path as territory of some self-proclaimed group. '_Team Magma Rulez' _indeed… Confident I hadn't infringed upon any unwritten neighborhood gang rules, I strode toward the yawning entry portal of New Mauville.

As I headed down the slope to the main gate, I noticed the underground city held a certain chill in the air. Not musty or earthy like the caves I was so fond of, but more crisp and clinical, with enough hints of dust to remind me that no one had lived down in these halls for a long time. Still, it wasn't as stale as I had been expecting. I parted the main gate with one code from my father's list, and made my way deeper into the city toward the staircase that led down to the second level. Wattson had been true to his word and had supplied a crude, yet helpful map of the path to the mainframe computer. Part of me wondered if he had managed the feat on his own.

The stairway to the second level was actually quite easy to find. It was located almost ceremonially at the dead center of the floor plate across from the portal from which I arrived. Although it appeared to be prominently featured, it lacked any decorative adornments, save for the slowly pulsing amber emergency lights that dotted the entire level.

I held back a twinge of disappointment at its simplicity. Perhaps I had become too accustomed to searching the ruins of ancient civilizations and their ornately crafted structures. Continuing its dissimilarity to the ruins I was secretly pining for, the city appeared to be in sound condition despite its abandonment. Yet, piled around the mouth of the stair heading down to the lower level was an impressive amount of construction equipment, including barriers that were placed deliberately to block the way.

"Cradily, I need your help." A flash of light revealed the fossil pokemon, who landed with a quiet thud to my immediate right. "Let's clear this debris out of the way and make sure the passage is in good structural condition. The last thing I need is to take a dive down some neglected underground stairs." Better safe than sorry.

Cradily crooned in agreement. Her tendrils reached out and lifted the barriers out of the way, placing them gently to the side. Once the heavy lifting was done, Cradily closed her eyes and her movements slowed. She began to scan the adjacent ground with her roots; the concrete and tile floor being receptive to her sensitive touch. Moments later, a nod of her head and quick series of chirrups told me she found no defects.

"Well done. Thank you, Cradily." She nuzzled my shoulder in reply, tendrils happily flicking back and forth, and I recalled her back to her pokeball. I set off again, down deeper into the abandoned city.

* * *

The second level of New Mauville was much more expansive than the first. I was surprised how far the central stair descended. When the stairwell opened out onto the second floor plate, the ceiling was so far above me that the supporting structure vanished into darkness. The sparse lighting in the cavernous space did little to dispel the gloom, so in order to properly navigate, I would need some assistance. I reached to my belt for a different pokeball, and tossed it into the dimly lit chamber. Claydol hung suspended in the air, slowly twirling on its axis as it surveyed our surroundings. A hollow hum emanated from its earthen body.

"It's not our usual spelunking trip, you're right. Would you mind being my eyes for the time being? I neglected to bring my light with me this time."

Another hum sounded and a curious blue aura materialized around its form. Claydol could use its psychic energy to reach out along our path and locate anything that was hiding in the shadows.

"Thank you, Claydol." I held up my PokeNav for it to see. "Here's the path we'll need to take, can you take the lead?" The muti-eyed pokemon studied the PokeNav for a moment, and then hovered off in the direction marked on the map. I fell in behind my pokemon as it forged a path through the darkness.

I could faintly see blue outlines forming around the objects in our path as Claydol continued its scan. I was beginning to notice a trend to the scenery as we passed by our fourth set of generator towers. Boxes of construction tools and supplies were piled on the floor. Power cables and battery cells littered the halls. Pokemon storage system terminals were in various stages of repair, as well as the same healing systems found in modern PokeCenters.

This city hadn't been conceived as a solution to simply house the expanding population of Hoenn's busiest cities. It seemed as if it was intended to function as a survival shelter should disaster ever strike, rendering one or multiple cities unfit for human habitation. The chilling realization sent the hair at the back of my neck on end. Despite its gloomy appearance, New Mauville was probably primed and ready for occupation at a moment's notice. No wonder Wattson had continued to keep an eye on it even after all this time. Claydol must have sensed my surprise and it turned to face me with a quizzical whistle.

"Ah, it's nothing important." I mustered an apologetic smile. "Let's keep going."

We continued on in silence for some time, taking several turns that carried us further from the central stairway. I was beginning to get antsy. We hadn't encountered any wild pokemon thus far, and the silence had become a bit unnerving. Although I was used to spending long periods of time alone underground, caves at least had a constant supply of sound to hold your attention. Trickling water, shifting soil, slight whispers of the air moving through cave passages. In New Mauville, all of those things were replaced with oppressive stillness, save for the sound of my own feet treading across the metal flooring. The trip to the mainframe probably wouldn't have taken this long with the proper amount of illumination.

"If only Wattson could have included the location of the light switches on his plan…" I grumbled to no one in particular.

Although perhaps someone heard me, because I was greeted with a rustle of activity off to my left. I turned to face the sudden sound, catching a glimpse of something in the dim light that looked to be red and white. My gaze narrowed as I peered into the darkness.

"Claydol, let's see what's in the shadows over there."

The desert doll pokemon bobbed in front of me and turned one of its many eyes toward the direction of the noise. A faint psychic glow surrounded two objects, perfectly spherical in nature. Claydol wasn't on edge with the discovery, and it resonated a faint call toward the pair. A crackling reply was heard, and I sighed.

"Just a pair of Voltorb. I hope we didn't startle them too badly."

Claydol turned back toward me and echoed a negative that the Voltorb were not upset with our intrusion.

"That's a relief."

It was then that I realized how close we actually were to the pair of pokemon. The passageways through which we were navigating had shrunk in scale dramatically since our arrival on the second level. I couldn't decide if having the walls so close made the darkness more or less oppressive than in the wide open space of the main entry. In any case, I made a mental note to stay aware of my proximity to any wild pokemon we may encounter. I certainly didn't want to stir up any nests and cause trouble for the local electric type population.

As we progressed further through the smaller hallways, I noticed a peculiar trend. It seemed that all of the pokemon we encountered seemed to be traveling in pairs. Two Voltob here, two Magnemite there. Exclusively electric types, and always with a partner. The type wasn't as surprising as the number. I would have to remember to ask Wattson about this behavior, and if it was unique to the electric types found in New Mauville, or if it was common amongst all electric pokemon regardless of habitat.

Finally, after what felt like hours of winding through more of the narrow corridors, Claydol's psychic scan outlined a doorway dead ahead of us.

"That's it. Behind that door should be the mainframe computer room." I consulted the map one last time before pocketing the device. "It looks to be a pretty large space, with the computer terminal at the center. Let's go." I toggled the door release, and as it slid open we stepped inside.

The scale of the mainframe room was almost as impressive as the first room we encountered on the second floor. Claydol's scan picked up on more generators and cables in a rough semi-circle leading up to the towering computer console at the middle of the room. It made sense; it would take an incredible amount of electricity to make sure the super computer in charge of all of the systems for an underground city ran smoothly and without interruption.

The door from which we entered was off to the side of the room, so I followed a curving line of electrical equipment in a path toward the mainframe's location. It was still too dark to see clearly, so I asked Claydol to continue to scan as I used the mainframe's faintly glowing screens as a beacon toward which we headed. Claydol hummed intermittently as its psychic energy picked up the presence of several more pairs of wild electric pokemon huddled behind the hulking mass of the generators.

Stepping over several bundles of cables as we neared the center of the space, Claydol turned its eyes up toward the mainframe tower. We were almost there, so I slipped my PokeNav out from my pocket and began to thumb through to my father's list of passcodes. I had stopped paying attention to where I was walking, and a sharp reverberation from Claydol broke my concentration from my device. But Claydol's alert was not to warn me of a tripping hazard. No sooner had my eyes shot up, the clunk of an electrical relay being thrown echoed across the space. Then the world went white.

The overhead lights of the chamber had been turned on at full power, and I was blinded. I threw both hands up to shield my eyes, but it was far too late. Having become accustomed to the dimly lit halls of the city for so long turned the normally comfortable illumination into a crippling amount of light. I stumbled backward from the shock, and Claydol's pained cries beside me told me my partner had suffered a similar ocular fate. I relinquished one hand to my belt to fumble for its pokeball, while the other remained firmly clamped over my face in an attempt to soothe my seared retinas.

"Claydol, return!"

As the panicked pokemon's cries were silenced by its retreat into the pokeball, other sounds began to rise to my attention. My eyes were currently useless, but not my ears. There were other beings here besides myself and the wild pokemon. Multiple other beings. My pulse began to pound, the adrenaline from the sudden blindness beginning to hit my system, and now increasing from the realization that I was not alone.

"Who's there?" I strained to open my eyes, but I still couldn't make anything out other than white, searing blurs. I tried to remember the direction I had come from, and took several cautious steps back.

I needed eyes on the room; I needed a member of my team who hadn't become accustomed to the darkness. I grabbed for another pokeball on my belt. My most trusted partner.

"Metagross, get ready!" With a metallic roar, I heard the four heavy legs of my starter slam into the metal deck. The familiar prickle of its psychic energy appeared at the back of my mind. Metagross and I were in sync, I could feel its energy and mood from the connection our minds shared. It wasn't a perfect means of communication; Metagross couldn't speak to me, but it could convey enough emotion to tell me what we were facing. And from the feel of it, it wasn't good.

The telltale sounds of pokemon being released from their pokeballs came from all sides. This was definitely not good. We were surrounded. I strained my eyes again to see if I could discern anything new. Not much better, but I could now make out some shadowy forms against the white backdrop. Metagross was the darkest thing in front of me, and beyond that I could make out some blurry black and red forms. Pokemon or human, I couldn't tell, but if pokeballs were involved, it meant there were trainers here, somewhere.

Were these trainers down here for a reason? Had I intruded on their territory, never mind they should be considered trespassers themselves. Or was this some sort of trap, intending to snare unsuspecting visitors who haphazardly ventured to the underground city? I briefly wondered if I could try reasoning with these trainers instead of having to escalate to a physical altercation. I then realized I probably already had escalated the situation by summoning Metagross to my side. It was still worth a shot, after all, I was blind as a Zubat. I held up my hands, palms out in a placating gesture.

"I'm terribly sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I'm just here to do some maintenance on the central computer. I can come back another time if this isn't convenient."

"You're not going anywhere," said a voice to my left.

Well that settles that… But I wasn't giving up. One last attempt at diplomacy.

"Ah, I'd rather not have to battle my way out of here. If you could please just allow me to head back the way I came, I won't bother you again."

"What makes you think this is going to be a battle, huh?" This one was from behind me.

"You are trainers, correct?" Now it's a ploy to stall for time. Getting out of here would be much simpler if I could regain my vision. My hands fell back to my sides as I took on more of a casual stance. No need to raise their alarm any more than I already had. "Isn't that what two trainers do when they cross paths?"

"I dunno if you could really call us trainers." The first voice again.

"Hey! That's enough. Keep your mouth shut. We're not here to have a chat." This new voice was from my right.

I could feel Metagross's anxiousness at the back of my mind. These people weren't going to let us stall any longer. We had to take action, and quickly. I tested my eyes once more. Blurry forms were taking clearer shapes now. I could make out the trainers from their pokemon. They appeared to be wearing the same sort of red jumpsuit, and had us encircled, as far as I could tell. I managed to get a glimpse of the bank of generators we had passed on the way in. It was behind the authoritative voice from my right. That's where we'd be headed.

"I guess you leave me no choice… Metagross, bullet punch. To the right!" I flung my hand in the direction of the last voice.

I felt the rush of air fly past me as Metagross heeded my command with a metallic cry. I forced my eyes open as far as I could and saw that Metagross had broken through the circle of trainers with ease. I leaned into a sprint to follow through the opening it had created.

I was too slow.

As Metagross crashed through the line of opposing trainers, it slammed to a halt in a cluster of generators. Before I could react, I heard them crackle to life. An icy terror gripped my veins. Those generators were live, and fully charged to boot. If I had bothered to pay attention to the piles of cables strewn across the ground when I entered, I would have noticed they were all tethered to either a generator or an electric type pokemon. These people were using the wild pokemon to power up the abandoned generators. No wonder I had only seen them in pairs, they would act as AC current, charging the generators in alternating pulses of polarity. And now on my command, my most powerful partner had directed its attack straight through the line of them.

"Metagross!"

My pokemon only had enough time to meet my gaze before the generators exploded in a ball of flame and sparks. The psychic connection at the back of my mind vanished as the exit path to the door was engulfed in fire. My miscalculation had cost me my escape route, and my partner.

"Damn it!" My hand flew to my belt, grasping another pokeball. By now, my eyes had finally become accustomed to the overhead lights, and I could make out the details of my assailants. The estimation of a red jumpsuit was surprisingly close. A red over-shirt and pants covered what appeared to be an insulating red under layer. A red hood with small dark horns shrouded the head of each trainer, and across the chest was emblazoned a bold "M". A Mightyena snarled somewhere behind me, and I snapped back to attention. I felt the hair on my arms and neck stand on end.

"Game over, pretty boy."

I spun to face the owner of that voice, clicking the pokeball from my belt.

Before I had a chance to release it, a silver gleam flashed past my vision. And then another. And another, all falling from above.

With my arm drawn back mid-throw, I realized too late what I was seeing. Magnemite had been carefully hidden in the rafters above, and were now tumbling down all around me. No doubt they were bloated with electric charge from the generators. That explained why I had felt my hair rise. The air was ripe with static. And then it exploded in a burst of electricity.

The thunder wave hit with such force that it felt as if I had been lifted off my feet and thrown across the room. In reality, I was frozen where I stood, locked in the electricity's deadly embrace. Current coursed through my body, arresting neural signals before they could reach my frozen limbs. Every muscle screamed with pain, but nothing escaped my lips.

After what felt like minutes, the surge of electricity fizzled out, and as the charge dissipated I crumpled unceremoniously from its clutches into a heap on the cool metal deck. Through the tingling numbness I could hear the plodding of rubberized boots drawing near. No amount of mental pleading was going to force my limbs obey. They were dead weight, the paralysis anchoring me within the useless shell of my body.

The last thing I remembered was the faint sensation of a psychic twinge at the back of my skull. Even as a shadow loomed over me, that faint connection was hope enough to send my final plea.

'_If you can hear me, run! Get to the surface, get help!'_

A boot made solid contact with the side of my head, and stars burst across my vision. Unable to fight against the haziness that quickly took hold, my eyes drifted shut, and the world was engulfed in darkness once again.


	2. Chapter 2 - Tabitha

**AN: I'd like to start off with a heartfelt thank you. The response to the first chapter was overwhelmingly positive, and I'm so grateful for that. You all are amazing, and it has helped to put a lot of my worries to rest. Also, there have not been any requests for content warnings at the start of chapters, so I am leaving them out. Without further ado, here is Chapter 2.**

* * *

[Chapter 2]

* * *

I watched as the ring of grunts closed in on the fallen Champion, delivering a swift blow in the off-chance the thunder wave hadn't done its job. Several others had begun to nudge the lethargic Magnemite out of the way. Accidental contact other than from our rubberized footwear would not be pleasant, even though they had fully discharged on the intended target. I marched up to the group of them and they all snapped to attention.

"Admin Tabitha, sir!"

I grinned. "At ease, grunts. You did well." They parted as I stepped toward the figure on the ground and leaned down to grab the pokeball that had fallen from his grasp in the ambush. Nonchalantly, I tossed it lightly in the air and caught it again. "Leader Maxie's plan has gone off without a hitch. Take the prisoner to the detention block. Deliver all of his personal effects to my office. Then toss him in the cell. I will alert Leader Maxie that we are ready for his arrival."

"Sir!" They smartly saluted once more and quickly moved around me to hoist the semi-conscious man up and carry him to the elevators on the other side of the room.

"Ah, hold on one second."

The grunts froze, and I kneeled down and plucked a pokeball from the Champion's belt. It was easy to tell from the weight I had selected the correct one; it was empty. I replaced it with the pokeball I had picked up from the ground. "Carry on."

I idly rolled the liberated pokeball in my hand as I watched them leave. A gleeful sneer made its way to my lips. We had never anticipated our little operation in New Mauville would land us such a valuable prize. It came as a surprise when our informants in Mauville City delivered the news that the person who was coming to investigate the "strange readings" was none other than Steven Stone himself. I never suspected Leader Maxie to be a man to giggle with delight, but he did when we heard the news. I probably did, too.

This stroke of good fortune moved the timeline of our plan up by weeks, if not months. We originally expected to snare a member of Wattson's staff, maybe even the Gym Leader himself, and interrogate them for information we could use to blackmail the Devon Corporation. But, after snatching Devon Corporation's prodigal son right from under their noses, we had all the leverage we needed to force their hand. The kid probably even had plenty of information we could force out of him as well. Not to mention we were now in possession of six, well, five of the strongest pokemon in the region. Things could not be any better right now for Team Magma.

I turned as I saw the elevator doors close behind the grunts and the numbers tick down to the lower levels of the city. Speaking of that sixth pokemon, I looked down at the empty pokeball in my hands. We wouldn't want the Champion's pokemon to be missing one of their friends, now would we? My gaze settled on the still smoldering remains of the detonated generators.

There was already a gathering of the remaining grunts trying to quell some of the more tenacious flames. We had gathered and powered enough generators for our operation that we could spare a few, but an uncontrolled blaze in the underground city would certainly be disastrous if it spread to rest of our supplies.

I say "our supplies" simply because in the several months in which Team Magma had occupied New Mauville, we faced no opposition in rounding up the miscellaneous tools, rations, and electrical equipment left strewn about the abandoned city.

We had taken up residence in the lowest levels, where no one would dare venture without good reason. Our spies had managed to obtain the original construction plans which thoroughly documented all of the maintenance tunnels and hidden access points throughout the city. We could enter and leave the city without leaving a trace. Even if someone did manage to stumble into New Mauville, we had tapped into the central computer and gained enough control to be able to seal off the security doors to the most vital levels we commandeered. The intent was to groom the city for long term occupation once Leader Maxie's final plan was set into motion.

I broke from my musings as the commotion around the burning generators began to die down. Grunts were directing strategic streams of sand from their Numel to smother the flames, while several Torkoal had laid a blanket of smog over the flames to snuff out the oxygen. Team Magma was no group of slouches. Leader Maxie had hand-picked nearly every member from all walks of life. It was fairly easy to stage recruiting trips as environmental talks at the local training centers. Only those trainers that showed the most zeal to our cause were brought into the fold. We would not see our vision ruined by incompetence.

Brandishing the empty pokeball, I moved towards the firefighting efforts. No sense in letting a perfectly good pokemon burn to death, if it hadn't already. I aimed the recall beam into the debris, content to poke around and see if I could discern where its body was. The first two beams returned empty, so I re-aimed and went to try again.

Before the beam struck the debris, the rubble pile exploded in a shower of sparks and smoke.

"What!?"

That Metagross had survived the explosion?! Had it been playing dead this whole time? As I watched, it rose above the debris and smog, and I could see it certainly was not unscathed. Large swaths of its steel hide were blackened and warped, and two legs hung at awkward angles. Shouts of surprise came from the startled firefighting brigade, but before they could react, the Metagross hurtled through their lines, sending humans and pokemon violently through the air as it charged.

I spun to my left, pointing wildly. "You there, and you, gather ten men and stop that thing! I don't care what it takes. It does not leave this city! I need to send a report to Admin Courtney, and then I will join you. Get going!"

"Yes sir, Admin Tabitha!"

A loud crunching screech was heard as the rear wall of the chamber gave way under the fleeing pokemon's full-body charge. It certainly was determined, but it couldn't run for too long in its weakened condition. I narrowed my gaze and glared at the gaping hole it had torn. I put the pokeball in my pocket. It wouldn't stay empty for long, not under my watch.

Drawing in a deep breath, I spun on my heel and headed toward the elevators on the opposite side of the room as I brought my rooted PokeNav to my ear.

"Admin Courtney, this is Admin Tabitha. I have a status report."

"Tabitha… I'm ready for your… report."

I don't think I'll ever get used to her weird mannerisms. Don't get me wrong, she is ruthless when it comes to fulfilling Leader Maxie's wishes. That makes her one of the top Admins in our ranks. But she's so damned strange. I cleared my throat.

"Operation: Covet was a success. We have Stone. One of his pokemon escaped from the ambush, but it was gravely injured. We are tracking it down now and anticipate its retrieval before Leader Maxie's arrival. Please proceed to the detention level and wait for Leader Maxie there. I will join you once we have secured the rogue pokemon."

"Report received… I will… transmit to Leader Maxie. Happy hunting… and maybe… I'll even let you join in the fun… with the Stone boy."

I didn't want to know what she meant by fun.

"You know he needs to still be able to talk when Leader Maxie gets here, right?"

"Aha… I know that. I'll be… gentle."

I made a mental note to hurry up with that Metagross's capture. On second thought…

"Actually, I'll be joining you at the detention level now. I'll shut the security gates at the main exit through the terminal. If the retrieval team doesn't take that pokemon down first, the security lasers will finish the job. See you shortly, Tabitha out."

I didn't wait for her reply. I grabbed the nearest grunt. "You there, take this pokeball, gather ten more men and join the retrieval squad in tracking down that Metagross. If it's not dead by the time you get there, use this to recall it and return it immediately to me." I shoved two pokeballs into his hands. "And take this Mightyena. It will be super effective against that thing."

"Thank you sir, I won't let you down!"

"Good. Send me notice as soon as you have something. On your way."

By the time the grunt scampered off, I had reached the elevators. I jammed my thumb on the down arrow a little more impatiently than necessary. And things had been going so smoothly too.

Once inside, my finger hovered over the eight before deciding to press seven instead. I should stop by my office to go through the Devon boy's items before heading to the interrogation. Courtney wouldn't be able to kill him that quickly. He was just a scrawny thing, but he hadn't completely succumbed to that thunder wave, I'd have to give him credit there. And even if he decided to cling to that same stubbornness during questioning, it didn't matter. There's more than one way for us to get the information we needed, and if it didn't involve him needing to talk, Courtney would get the chance to have her fun after all.

I quickly reached my office door, swinging it open for just a second before closing it behind me with a soft click. My eyes fell to the box sitting on my desk. "Let's see what we have here."

Folded and resting on top sat a pile of clothes; a black and purple suit jacket, complete with fancy metal embellishments, its matching vest, and a red scarf. Nothing exciting here other than some spoiled brat's idea of looking smarter than he actually was. I tossed the clothes aside. What sat underneath was really what I was after.

I removed the five pokeballs that were revealed and placed them in my desk drawer. Those would be presented to Leader Maxie once the sixth pokeball made its triumphant return. Even if we didn't find a way to command the pokemon contained inside for our own purposes, having the Champion's team under Team Magma's control meant they couldn't be used against us in the event of a clash with the League.

There were a few other items of no real significance: several pieces of folded paper, a set of silver rings, an antique pocket watch, even a few rocks, which was odd, and then I saw it.

A PokeNav.

Jackpot! I snatched up the device and began thumbing through the screens. Or at least, I tried to. The display was frozen on the call screen, and refused to show anything else. The damn thing must have gotten fried in the thunder wave, of all the rotten luck! I made to toss the device back in the box, but thought otherwise. Deeming it entirely useless without a second opinion might be a big mistake. I tucked it in my pocket, figuring it was worth dropping off with our tech team to see if they could resurrect any data from the memory.

At that moment, I realized I might be the only one who knew the device was bricked. That could work to our advantage. I made a mental note to let Courtney know we had the Champion's PokeNav secured in the tech lab in full earshot of our guest. The knowledge that we already had all of his secrets in our clutches might rattle his nerves. That is, if Courtney hadn't already broken him first.

As I was turning my attention back to the box, the phone rang.

"This is Admin Tabitha, speak."

"Admin Tabitha, sir, this is Magma HQ. Leader Maxie has asked me to inform you that he has been delayed in his return from Mt. Chimney. He should arrive at New Mauville two days later than expected."

"Ah… Thank you HQ. Is that all?"

"No sir, Leader Maxie has received Admin Courtney's report that the prisoner has been successfully detained. He has granted you authorization to proceed with interrogation in his absence."

"Perfect. Please notify Leader Maxie that we will proceed as requested. Admin Tabitha, out."

"Roger that, Magma HQ, out."

I hung up the phone with a grin. Two days was more than enough of a buffer to clean up the remaining mess from today's activity. Plus it was a two day head start to pry information out of the Devon heir. We wouldn't let Leader Maxie down.

I checked my PokeNav and frowned, no notifications from the pursuit team. No matter, I stepped around to the computer terminal on my desk. I should trigger those security doors now, just in case. A couple quick keystrokes later, the schematic display showed the now sealed security doors blinking red and the text in front of main entrance laser grid ticked to "activated". Time for me to pay a visit to Courtney.

* * *

As the elevator doors dinged open on the 8th subterranean level, I didn't stay in the main hallways for long. Taking a sharp right, I ducked into the maintenance tunnels that connected to the impromptu detention block behind the elevator shaft. Heavy doors and dark, maze-like passages didn't make the detention area the most convenient to get to, but that also meant it wasn't the most convenient to escape either.

After a series of twists and turns, I pushed aside the solid steel door that lead to the observation room. Courtney was silhouetted by the light spilling through the small window that looked into the elevator maintenance room-turned prison cell. She didn't flinch when the heavy door clanged shut behind me.

"He's very… quiet," she remarked as I stopped next to her, not breaking her gaze toward the room on the opposite side of the wall.

Leaning in, I peeked through the window at the captive inside. The young man was slumped forward against the restraints that held him to the lone chair in the room. Hands bound in his lap and head bowed, at a cursory glance it would appear he might still be unconscious. I could tell though, that was not the case. Every few moments, a small shudder would pass through his body, his legs giving a feeble twitch.

I looked at Courtney. "You realize it's hard to make noise while paralyzed, right?"

"Oooh…"

I sighed. "I guess I never did explicitly tell the grunts to heal him..."

It certainly would have made it easier to get him down to the detention level if he woke up before they arrived. It's a simple task if the prisoner can't fight back. I rummaged around my overcoat's pockets for a paralyze heal. It became standard practice to carry for all Team Magma members in New Mauville, with the abundance of wild electric type pokemon in our hideout.

"Unlock the door, Courtney."

With a soft clunk, the magnetic lock disengaged and I walked over to the Stone boy. I watched as another twitch shuddered through his body. He was definitely fully awake and aware of my presence. Time to introduce myself up as the good cop of this operation.

"Don't worry, this is only for the paralysis." I leaned down and administered the syringe of healing agent to the exposed skin beneath his collar. Another twitch.

"You should be good to go in about five minutes. Then we'll have a couple questions for you." As I straightened to my full height, I could see the beginnings of a lovely bruise across his left temple. Recapping the syringe, I not-so-gently patted his cheek.

"Let's talk soon."

Twitch.

I heard the lock engage behind me and Courtney turned, eyes gleaming with anticipation. "I always did… like… being bad cop."

"I think it's because no one expects it from little 'ol you." I gave a playful flick to one of the horns on her hood.

"Aha! Analysis… is too much fun."

"Yeah yeah, we just can't analyze him too much before Leader Maxie gets here, capiche?"

"I understand… I just get so excited… Knowing we are getting closer… to realizing Leader Maxie's vision."

"You and me both, Court. Oh, I nearly forgot. You there at the door." The grunt standing guard at the exterior door snapped to attention. "Take this up to the techno-nerds, have them see what they can pull." I handed the grunt Stone's damaged PokeNav.

"Yes, sir!" And with a sharp salute, the grunt left us.

"Ohh… I wonder what secrets… are inside that thing."

"You talking about that PokeNav, or his head?" I jerked a thumb toward the cell.

"Aha!" Courtney covered her hand with her mouth. She had such a dainty laugh. Far daintier than one would expect from such a dangerous woman.

"Heh, I knew you'd like that one." I turned back toward the observation window. "Let's see how his royal highness is doing in there."

True to my word, the effects of the paralyze heal seemed to have taken hold. The Devon heir was now sitting upright, eyes scanning around the room. His hands cautiously flexed where they were bound, no doubt trying to dispel the lingering tinge of paralysis.

"Looks like he's up. Want to head in there?"

"I'll follow your… lead."

I nodded and toggled the lock once more. I saw Stone's eyes flick toward the door at the sound of the disengagement. I strode into the room with Courtney in tow, and felt a pair of eyes following our every move. Courtney remained in front of the door as I marched right up to our captive where I met his steely gaze. I couldn't hold back my grin.

"Heh, how are you feeling now? Better?"

I was met with no response. So we're gonna play that game, huh?

"No need to be like that, the least you could do is say thanks. I could have just left you to like that, all twitchy and numb."

Nothing but a cold stare in return. How ungrateful.

I turned to look at Courtney over my shoulder. "I cure his paralysis, and what do I get as thanks? Nuthin'!" I spun back around. "Let me tell you how this is going to work. I did you a favor, now you're going to do us a favor. You've got some information we're looking for. Things will be a lot smoother if you just tell us what we want to know. Sound good?"

Silence and a hard glare once more.

I sighed, "Look kid, one way or another, we're gonna get what we want. I can damn well say that if you cooperate sooner rather than later, it'll be better for you in the end. I can't promise anything once she gets her turn, though." I jerked my thumb over my shoulder to emphasize my point and leaned in close to speak softly. "Trust me when I say, don't judge a book by its cover. She will hurt you." I couldn't see if Courtney had reacted to my earlier words, but I saw his eyes flick behind me for a brief moment. I leaned back up.

"So, I'll start by saying there's no point in being all mysterious, we know who you are. We were waiting for you the whole time."

"So it was a set up from the start," was the muttered response. Progress, he speaks!

"Oh don't be mad with poor, old Wattson. Our spies in Mauville were the ones who told us he was sending you. He had no clue."

"Someone will come looking when I don't return soon. The air in here is stale enough to tell me I'm still within New Mauville's halls. This will be the first place they search."

"Heh, you're a sharp one. Although what makes you so sure anyone is going to think you're missing? It could just be eccentric rich boy Steven Stone going off on some globe-hopping trip again. We've watched you long enough to know you like to make a habit out of leaving for long periods of time unannounced. But even if someone does come snooping, there's no chance of them finding us this far down. How do you think we stayed here undetected for so long anyway? We only made our presence known to lure you down here."

A pause, he was processing what I had said. Perhaps now it had sunk in just how little hope there was for a rescue.

"Who exactly are you, and what do you want with me?"

"All you need to know is that Team Magma is calling the shots now. Now then, I'm the one asking questions around here."

"Team… Magma? I can't say I've heard of you before." His tone wasn't mocking.

"Then we are conducting our operations just as planned. We couldn't have the Pokemon League interfering with our mission preparation." His eyes narrowed at my declaration, and perhaps I had said too much at the moment. But, Leader Maxie had every intention to reveal our plan to the world in due time. It's not like Stone was in any position to leak what he learned within the confines of this cell.

"Now then, we require the knowledge you hold on the latest Devon research programs. I suggest you tell us everything, lest things get _unpleasant_ for you."

My vague threat didn't seem to register.

"What would you like to know? I can tell you all about the newest update to the PokeNav Plus. Or maybe the latest pokeball innovations. How about a new, longer lasting type of repel for even the toughest Zubat infestations."

I frowned. "Don't get smart with me, Stone. We all know that Devon has plenty of top secret research going on behind closed doors. We want that research, and you will give it to us."

The prisoner shook his head. "Everything we have in development has already been revealed to the public, just searching online would tell you all about it. The BuzzNav usually pounces on anything newsworthy the minute it's announced."

"And somehow, I don't believe you. There was never an official announcement on the development of a fossil revitalization program when the Natural History Museum got that shipment of fossils from Kanto, and yet we've seen trainers battling with Aerodactyl and Omanyte around the region. We know those pokemon were the fruits of Devon research and funding."

The young man's eyes widened at my accusations, he knew I was right on the money. Perhaps now he would realize how wide reaching our network of informants actually was. I continued.

"The biggest news in Hoenn as of a month ago had to do with the discovery of an ancient tablet detailing what is rumored to be a previously unexplored location related to the legendary pokemon Kyogre and Groudon. There's no way I'm going to believe the largest research and development company in Hoenn is going to let that rumor go untested. Now, you will tell us what Devon is cooking up in their secret labs in relation to the ancient pokemon. If you continue to be uncooperative, I cannot promise that you'll make it out of here in one piece."

Instantly, his eyes narrowed to a piercing stare. "I don't take kindly to threats."

I closed the distance between us with one swift stride and delivered a right cross squarely to his jaw. The chair creaked as it rocked from the force of my blow. A grunt of pain told me I had gotten my point across.

"I wouldn't be so sure that these are merely threats, Stone. Don't think for a minute that Team Magma would be in the position we are now if we lacked conviction."

The Champion's head lolled for only a second longer before his gaze found mine once again, eyes narrowed and set with determination. I glared back.

"We'll see how long that tough-guy facade of yours holds up." I turned and headed toward the cell door as I continued, "There's nothing noble in staying silent you know. We have your PokeNav, and it's only a matter of time until we crack the encryption and get our information that way. And after that, frankly, you won't be worth much to us anymore. We'll let you mull that over for a while, although by then it may already be too late for you to offer anything useful. Let's go, Courtney."

Part of me was hoping that as Courtney's hand reached for the door mechanism, I'd hear a voice from behind calling for me to wait, but that small hope was only met with silence and the sound of the lock re-engaging behind us.

I turned to Courtney, my jaw set in determination. "Don't worry, we'll get him to crack before Leader Maxie arrives. We'll just have to soften him up first. Call for the Whismur team, and make sure they have the sturdiest Torkoal you can find." I glanced at my watch. "It's late. I need to check in on the pursuit team. I'll leave you in charge of the Whismur deployment."

"You got it… Tabitha… He'll be talking… by noon tomorrow."

"Great. I'll check back in with you in the morning." And with that, I left the detention block and headed back to my office.

* * *

As I unceremoniously plopped down into my desk chair, I ran a hand through my hair. After the huge success of the day, having the interrogation stall like this was only a minor setback, but I couldn't shake the image of the icy look the Champion gave me. Is that what it would look like to stare down that man from the opposite side of the battlefield? Then we were right in operating in secrecy, and not trying to oppose the Pokemon League out in the open.

I shook my head of the negative thoughts. We had time to spare, and no matter how determined the Devon heir was, after two days of misery in that cell, he surely would crack before Leader Maxie arrived. Either that, or the tech department would scour the files from his PokeNav, and we'd have our answers that way.

Tapping idly on my keyboard, I found my eyes drifting to the security door schematic displayed on the screen. My heart leapt as I snapped forward in my chair. Over half of the doors were now blinking furiously in yellow. How could so many doors have been breached? The main entryway was still unscathed, but only just. I slammed my first down onto the desk, causing a small avalanche of papers. The box containing the prisoner's effects gave a small jump as something inside settled from the jolt.

"Damn it!"

How could such a critically wounded pokemon continue to evade our capture squad? In frustration, I swiped the offending box from my desk, sending it careening into the nearest filing cabinet and spilling its contents across the floor. I would have to locate the rogue pokemon myself. I grabbed two of my own pokeballs from their place in my desk drawer, and with one last glance at the security schematic, I stormed to the elevator and jabbed the button for the second floor. It was going to be a long night, and as the elevator doors closed, I could only hope that it was going to be worse for the man tied to a chair six floors below. The Whismur Squad was ruthlessly efficient at what they did.

Before the elevator doors had closed behind me, I was already taking long strides across the second floor mainframe chamber. The chaos from earlier in the day had been neatly erased by the clean-up crew, save for the still-gaping hole where the rogue Metagross had made its escape. I easily poked though said hole and winced, knowing that any evidence the fleeing pokemon left in its wake would serve as a beacon for anyone who came to investigate the Champion's disappearance. The repair and renovation crew would not be happy to find out they'd be working double time all night to fix the damage.

I jogged through the narrow, winding passages that lead away from the mainframe and marveled at the overt lack of damage. Clearly the pokemon wanted to conceal its escape, but as I came upon the first failed security door, it appeared that stealth tactics had been abandoned once the path was discovered to be obstructed. Severely dented and barely clinging to its track, it was clear the door had been breached by sheer force. Sparks emitted from the control mechanism, and I grimaced. Even half-dead, that Metagross held this much power. My pace quickened and I involuntarily tightened my hand around the pokeball at my hip as I followed the now-obvious trail of destruction leading in a winding swath across the second floor.

Door after door had been crumpled as if it offered no more resistance than a sheet of paper. I had also begun to notice another disturbing trend. Scores of the wild electric pokemon native to the city were strewn about on the ground, all fainted. I couldn't spare more than a cursory glance though, and doggedly continued on my trek.

A short time later, I stumbled upon a member of the pursuit team, alive, but trapped beneath a toppled bank of shelving units too leaden with equipment for her to budge. She called out to me as I neared her location.

"A-admin Tabitha, sir! Ugh, I can't move sir, I'm sorry."

"Grunt, what happened here? Why has no one reported in to me?" I made no move to release her from underneath the wreckage. I needed answers.

"Sir, we caught up with the escaped pokemon quickly enough, but… it's so strong, sir. It just sheds our attacks and destroys everything in its path. Tracking it was no problem, but staying close enough to capture it was difficult. And… we ran into an unexpected setback, sir."

I could feel my anger rising, but I remained calm. "Go on."

"Well, it appears that its levitation ability had been damaged and was leaking magnetic radiation, and that had been driving all of the wild pokemon it came across into a frenzy. We constantly had to fend off their attacks even as we tracked the fleeing pokemon. We were unprepared to handle so many battles during our pursuit. And well, that's how I got trapped here, after an explosion from an agitated Electrode." Her eyes lowered to the ground in shame.

"Thank you for your report, Grunt." My hand reached down to my belt and withdrew a pokeball. "Hariyama will help you out of there, so head back to the infirmary and get some rest. I will be joining the pursuit team in your place." I released the fighting type pokemon and left the pokeball in her hand.

"T-thank you Admin Tabitha, sir!" she called, but I had already turned to leave.

As I plunged forward, I began to notice that the path the fleeing pokemon had taken was not the most direct one towards the surface. It twisted where it should have turned, and avoided doors that were clearly the shortest pathway out. The realization dawned on me; it was lost.

At the next turn, I veered off the trail and made for the quickest route to the main entry. I would head it off at the pass, instead of trying to play catch up, and hopefully avoid any encounters with the restless wild pokemon population in the process.

My hunch was correct, and for the rest of the way toward the surface I encountered no indication that either pokemon or human had passed through. I keyed open the last door separating me and the large entry room of the second floor. As I pressed my hand against the metal surface, I felt the structure shudder, and a low roar sounded from just beyond the other side.

I shoved the door open the rest of the way, and not fifty feet in front of me the wall exploded in shards of metal shrapnel, revealing a heavily damaged Metagross, its body tumbling and spinning at an odd angle from the impact. It landed with a thud and skidded several more feet across the metal deck before coming to a rest at the foot of the main stair.

I cursed my luck at not having its pokeball on my person that very second. Instead, I went on the offensive and threw my own pokeball. That beast could not be allowed to leave this floor.

"Camerupt, let's go! Use your stone edge to keep that Metagross from moving, trap it!"

With speed that belied the steel pokemon's severe condition, it dodged the jagged rocks that sprung from my pokemon's attack, and launched itself up the stairs in a clumsy staggering gallop.

At that moment, a flood of grunts came spilling through the gaping hole through which the Metagross had emerged.

"Admin Tabitha? When did you get here?"

I had already broken into a sprint with Camerupt in tow. "There's no time! Quickly, up the stairs! Stop that pokemon!" I felt spittle fly from my mouth at the rushed command.

The injured Metagross had left a haphazard path of destruction as it frantically climbed the stair. Dents and cracks could be seen in a zig zag pattern as it clambered up the passage. By the time I caught sight of the main floor above, I could see that Metagross was nearly upon the main gate. Out of desperation, I called for an all-out attack; it was too late to consider simply capturing it.

"Camerupt, lava plume! Melt that thing into slag!"

In that moment, with twenty pairs of stampeding feet churning up the stair behind me, the world erupted into a cacophony of light and sound. As the lava plume gushed forth, the Metagross reached the main gate, triggering the final security measures. Red warning lights flashed in unison with a blaring alarm, and the security lasers whirred to life, cutting through the night time gloom spilling in from outside the entry portal. I had to shield my eyes from the sudden burst of energy, and by the time it had cleared, only smoldering silence remained.

Camerupt's attack had melted the alarm mechanism and several of the laser heads, as well as reduced the main gate to a molten pile of steel. The warning lights still blinked on and off across the rest of the first floor plate, casting an eerie glow on the whole scene. Cautiously, I approached the remains of the main gate, searching for any sign that we had successfully thwarted the rogue pokemon's escape attempt.

Through the shimmering heat, just on the far side of the gate sat a single, blue hunk of metal. Charred black at one end, I came to realize the shape was far too narrow to be the entire mass of the escapee. I stepped closer and looked down. All that lay before me was a singular leg that formerly had been attached to the fleeing pokemon, severed at the socket joint and still glowing red from the heat of the laser that had separated it from the main body. The only other thing visible was a series of blackened scrape marks that lead up the ramp toward the surface.

"Leader Maxie is not going to be happy about this one."

Upon the realization that the Metagross had slipped through our grasp, I knew there was no point in mourning this twist of fate. With any luck, the frantic chase through New Mauville and its subsequent dismemberment would kill off the escaped pokemon before it could alert anyone to what had happened. And given my track record over the past few hours, I was due for a stroke of good luck sometime soon.

I turned back to the team of grunts that had assembled behind me.

"Let's get this mess cleaned up. We can't have anyone spotting smoke from the city's entrance. Hop to it!"

The rhythm of the synchronized snap to attention echoed about the empty chamber, and they then scattered to do their requested duties. I glanced at my watch once more and sighed. I could at least catch a few hours of sleep before I should check back in with Courtney in the detention cell. There would be no room for a foggy mind during the second attempt to pry information out of the prisoner. I plodded back down to the lower levels and headed on the long trek to the closest elevator to take me to the sleeping quarters. It had been a long day.


	3. Chapter 3 - Tabitha (2)

**AN: I wanted to give a great big thank you to everyone for your encouragement and feedback on this story so far. It really means a lot. Thank you all so much.**

* * *

[Chapter 3]

* * *

Waking up in an underground city was not easy unless one had become used to the process. There are none of the traditional cues like sunlight streaming through a window, or the calls of Taillow in tree branches outside. I slipped my hand out from beneath the thin blanket and habitually checked my watch. It was an invaluable tool for keeping track and organizing an entire battalion of grunts deep underground, while simultaneously having to coordinate communication with members of Team Magma who were conducting missions on the surface.

After considering the aforementioned device, I surmised that I had slept for only four hours, even though I had been thoroughly exhausted from the night before. There was no time for lamenting lost sleep, though, and I rose to get cleaned up before heading to the mess hall for a quick breakfast.

On my way down to the detention block to rejoin Courtney, I stopped in to visit the tech department to see if they had any news for me on the liberated PokeNav from our guest. I nudged the door open and issued my usual greeting, "Morning, nerds. Have anything for me today?"

"Good morning, Admin Tabitha!" Several heads poked up from behind their computer monitors. "Unfortunately, we don't have much in the way of data. That PokeNav you gave us was pretty fried from the thunder wave attack. The most we could do was extract the recent calls list from the phone log. All the rest of the information on the chip was too scrambled to be recovered. We did get the PokeNav's call function to work again though. You just can't access any other menus from the main screen. The rest of its functionality has been completely bricked."

I groaned aloud. It seemed my luck hadn't made a miraculous recovery from the previous day.

The techie piped up again, no doubt in an effort to cheer me up. "It could have been worse, sir. We might not have been able to recover any data from the device at all."

I managed a small smile. "You know what, you're right. Can you get me a print out of that call log? And I'll take the PokeNav back, too. Leader Maxie may want to take a look at it himself when he arrives."

"Right on it, sir!" and the techno-nerds scrambled to work.

I couldn't help but admire the tech department. I certainly was no slouch when it came to technology, but these guys were on an entirely different level. They could extract information from even the tiniest sliver of data. It always made my job ten times easier, having such a skilled intel and data management team at my disposal. This time, it wouldn't be their usual ten-times multiplier, but as the ever-optimistic nerd had said, they at least were able to produce some sort of data that could possibly be used to force Stone's hand when it came to interrogation.

I was quickly presented with a sheet of paper and the device, which I accepted gratefully.

"On behalf of Leader Maxie, I thank you for your services to Team Magma. If the data you've recovered leads to successful extraction of information from the prisoner, I will see to it that you are handsomely rewarded."

The occupants of the room shot to their feet and offered a sloppy, albeit sincere salute. "Thank you Admin Tabitha, sir!"

I left the room with a genuine smile. I always did have a soft spot for the non-combat units in our ranks.

* * *

The trip back to my office was a short one, although I hardly noticed since I had buried myself in the phone list produced by the techies.

They weren't able to recover any contact information for the calls, but the dialed and received numbers did retain the location data for each call. An outgoing call to Rustboro. Outgoing and incoming calls from Slateport. Slateport again. Rustboro, incoming. Mossdeep, outgoing. Slateport, incoming. Several of the numbers and locations were repeated multiple times.

Soon I had reached my office and I entered without looking up. Not two steps into the room, and I was greeted by a crunch from beneath my boot. I paused in my perusal of the list to look down. I had trodden directly on the personal belongings of the Champion, which I had unceremoniously strewn about my office in a burst of anger from the previous day. Not really caring that I had just ruined some antique pocket watch, I bent down to gather the fallen items and put them back into their box, not wanting the mess to linger.

As I shuffled everything into a pile for the clean-up, a few crumpled papers caught my eye. Smaller and made of some sort of card stock, I plucked the clump of paper from the pile and unfolded it. They were ticket stubs from the Oceanic Museum in Slateport. Slateport? Could this be related to the call log?

A quick search on my computer revealed that some of the numbers from the log did match the contact for the Oceanic Museum. I paused to think. There would be no reason for the Champion to call and travel to Slateport on his own, it had to be for official Devon business. I looked back over the log to confirm my suspicion, and sure enough a singular Rustboro number had been either dialing out or calling in immediately after the Slateport contacts.

This confirmed my suspicion that these visits must have been company errands, not personal ones.

As I continued to thumb through the list there were more numbers from Slateport that were not owned by the Museum. All of these other Slateport calls seemed to fall with regular intervals with the Museum and Rustboro phone calls. I had to find out who else Stone was contacting if I was to know the real reason behind his visits to the Oceanic Museum.

My fingers flew across my keyboard as I pulled up as many references as I could to try to find the owner of the second Slateport number. After several moments, I leaned back in my chair, triumphant with a match.

It belonged to Stern Shipyard, well-known contractors who specialized in constructing and dismantling boats and the like. So Devon had their sights set on a seafaring craft of some sort. Whatever leads they had on the rumors swirling about Kyogre and Groudon must be linked to the oceans of Hoenn somehow. Finally, a lead! The day was finally looking up.

With this new information in hand, I left my office and headed to the elevator, ready to see if our guest was feeling a bit more cooperative today.

* * *

Upon arriving at the detention level once more, I pushed open the heavy steel door as quietly as I could. The metal hinges refused to obey my intent, and they groaned aloud, alerting an awake and attentive Courtney to my presence. I wondered silently if she stayed up all night to observe, as she was wont to do, or if she actually got some sleep to be rested for today's interrogation.

"Good morning… Tabitha…"

"Good morning, Courtney. Has there been any progress from yesterday?"

"He's still… quiet… But that won't last… He'll be talking… very soon…"

My curiosity got the better of me. "Did you stay here all night?"

"Aha… Yes I stayed here… I didn't want to… miss anything important… Especially since we're so close… to realizing… Leader Maxie's vision…"

I had to admire her tenacity, but the nagging thought that she might actually be a robot crept into the back of my mind again. I never met someone so dedicated to their craft as Courtney. Highly trained in infiltration and assassination, she was definitely Leader Maxie's right hand woman when it came to dirty work. Flawless execution mixed with ruthless efficiency, if Leader Maxie needed someone to vanish without a trace, Courtney was the one to send.

If she was considered the cleaner, I could be considered the repairman. I preferred to keep my hands clean and my mind open when it came to serving Leader Maxie. Strategy and intelligence gathering were my specialties, although for the life of me I still couldn't figure out how one rich kid from Rustboro could continue to thwart our combined efforts to extract the secrets we knew he held. Rather than let my frustration build, I vowed to keep a calm mind, especially now that we had the contacts from the PokeNav call list to force the issue with the Devon heir's interrogation.

I peered around Courtney's shoulder to look into the cell. Stone was once again slumped against his restraints, head bowed low enough that I couldn't see his face beneath the messy shock of his silver hair. I could only hope that he felt as miserable as he looked.

I didn't have to wait long to find out.

There were two grunts from the Whismur Squad inside the cell, one of which was tending to a particularly surly looking Torkoal, which gave a huff of smoke from its softly glowing nostrils. The other grunt was flipping through a small notepad. After a moment, he glanced at his watch and flipped the pad shut. Stepping forward, he reached out to perform the scheduled check of the prisoner's vital signs.

As the grunt's fingers pressed into the prisoner's neck, the Devon heir visibly flinched at the contact. His nerves must have been frazzled from the sleepless night and unrelenting onslaught of the Whismurs' cries. The grunt then stepped back to perform a hearing check and snapped his fingers sharply, causing Stone to flinch once more. Courtney was right, he surely was reaching his breaking point. With the right amount of pressure, it wouldn't take much to get him talking now.

Courtney's voice snapped me from my thoughts. "They only have one… Whismur left… for this round…"

"That's actually perfect timing then. I have a solid lead from the data on that PokeNav. I think we can take another crack at seeing if Stone will be more willing to talk after this last one."

"Aha… great work… Tabitha… I can't wait… to see what you… have…"

As Courtney trailed off, I turned my attention back to the occupants of the room. The kneeling grunt rose to her feet having refreshed the Torkoal to peak condition and nodded to her companion. The second member of the Whismur squad produced a pokeball from his belt and tossed it to reveal the diminutive pink pokemon. Blissfully unaware of its fellow Whismurs' fates, it curiously tottered forward and bumped into the leg of the man seated before it.

Wearily, the Champion's gaze lifted to take in the tiny creature nudging his ankles. His expression held a look of pity for the innocent pokemon until the all too familiar sound of the approaching Torkoal signaled the beginning of the next round. For only a brief moment, his eyes snapped toward the observation window, piercing me with that same icy look he had given me in the first interrogation.

I froze as a chill ran through my veins. He endured a whole night of sensory overload and he still held this much determination? I shook my head as if to convince myself I had only imagined what I saw, but it sure felt like Stone knew I was behind that glass at that very moment.

When I looked back to the Champion once more, the glare was gone. His eyes were locked onto the approaching Torkoal. Once it shuffled within range of the still oblivious Whismur, he screwed his eyes shut and set his jaw as the predatory pokemon began to stretch its neck. Quick as a flash, the Torkoal's head shot forward and its beak clamped down into the soft flesh of the Whismur's flank.

Startled and pained, the Whismur uttered an ear piercing screech that rattled the pane in front of me. Thankfully the soundproofing of the observation room saved the two of us from the fate suffered by the man inside the cell. Unable to protect his ears, the Devon heir lurched against his bindings under the onslaught of the Whismur's cries. The Whismur squad grunts stood calmly by, their special ear protection rendering them indifferent to the horrifying sounds emanating from the pokemon locked in the Torkoal's jaws.

When its initial cries did nothing to loosen the grip on its tiny body, the Whismur began to flail about, increasing the volume of its wailing proportionately to its struggles. Unfazed, Torkoal pinned the wriggling pokemon under its clawed foot before readjusting its bite to a fresh section of the Whismur's back, causing the pokemon's cries to increase once again.

The Torkoal continued to toy with the hapless Whismur for the better part of an hour, while Courtney and I watched as both prisoner and prey were helpless to stop the onslaught.

As the Whismur's shrieks faded into nothing more than whimpers, the Torkoal finally relented its vice grip on the tiny creature and shuffled back to its trainer's side. The Whismur quivered where it lay, too exhausted to do anything but wheeze feebly until it vanished in the red light of a pokeball recall beam. Nonchalant, the grunt tucked the pokeball back to his belt and pulled out his notepad again to document the time.

These two grunts were a rare find for us. There weren't many people left who were versed in how to prolong the effects of each Whismur for maximum effect. Whismur torture had been outlawed by the League several years prior due to the cruel nature of the treatment of the Whismur, not necessarily its effects on the intended target.

The principle was simple. By inflicting pain upon the tiny pokemon, it would unleash a hellish series of cries that to an unprotected human ear, would be intolerably uncomfortable. The pain, and therefore the noise, wouldn't stop until the Whismur exhausted itself to the point of fainting. The procedure would continue with the introduction of another Whismur, and the cycle would repeat until the desired effect of a stunned, disoriented, and compliant prisoner was achieved.

When the torture was also used to force a person to stay awake for prolonged periods, it proved to be effective against even the most stubborn subjects. The beauty of the method was in its ease to execute for an extended period of time. There was nearly zero stress on the torturers, and could go on so long as there was a supply of fresh Whismur.

With the newfound silence, I could clearly see the Devon heir's strained posture finally melt into fatigue. Shoulders heaving from exertion, he again sagged as far as the ropes would allow. I checked my watch. There would be no rush to interrogate the prisoner, as he most likely would hear nothing but the ringing of his own ears for a while.

The wait was also a blessing for me as well, since it gave me time to rehearse my interrogation plan once more in my head. With the torture session finally coming to an end, now was the time to directly attack the prisoner's mental state. I could first try to see if the Whismur had reduced the Champion to such a state of misery that by simply playing the role of a friend, I could coax the information from him with minimal effort. If the nice guy cop routine failed, another effective method was to try to elicit an intense emotional response. Nothing clouds sound judgement like a good dose of anger or fear, especially when paired with a night of sleep deprivation and sensory overload.

Speaking of sleep deprivation, I turned to look at my fellow Admin to see how she was holding up. Her eyes were half lidded and she stared distantly at the room beyond the glass and I vaguely wondered if she had a similar mental checklist prior to going into an interrogation.

We continued to stand at the window patiently as the grunts in the cell tended to their duties, tidying up the patches of Whismur fur left on the ground and restoring the Torkoal's energy spent battling the terrified Whismur.

Finally, one of the grunts turned to the observation window and signaled in the affirmative that it was time. I glanced over at Courtney, and she too noticed the signal. Her distant stare had been replaced with what could almost be described as thinly veiled giddiness, and she reached out to toggle the door lock while motioning for me to take the lead. I obliged, filing away her expression as something to keep an eye on as the day grew later.

The door lock whirred open and as I strode into the room with Courtney in tow, the Whismur squad grunts snapped a quick salute before sinking to the wall at the side of the room, their job done for now. I put on my signature sneer. It was time to get the answers we were looking for.

Still reeling from the last Whismur, Stone didn't bother to look up as I snapped my heels smartly when I stopped in front of his seat. I would require his undivided attention, so our current arrangement just wouldn't do. Leaning forward, I cupped his chin in my hand and tilted his head up until we were eye to eye. Much better.

"Hello again. Courtney here tells me you didn't seem to have a change of heart overnight. That's a shame."

I was greeted with several slow blinks as he regained some of his faculties. I didn't release my grip though, this was important and I needed to see what reaction I could stir up with my newfound knowledge.

"However, I have good news." The saccharin cheer was nearly dripping from my tone. "Your PokeNav did all the talking for us. That's not the good news for you, though. The good news for you is that right now I'm giving you the chance to help clear some things up with the info we have, and if you do, I'll still hold up my end of the original deal. Help me out, and I won't turn Courtney loose on you. Sound good?"

I released the Champion's chin from my grasp and watched as his head rolled forward once again. I frowned and wondered if anything I said actually registered with his fatigue-hazed mind. But to my surprise, Stone slowly raised his head and delivered in a calm, quiet voice the last thing I expected him to say.

"If you really have everything you need from my PokeNav, why are we even having this conversation?"

So I hadn't imagined that look earlier, he still had enough of his faculties to call my bluff. However, I couldn't let him know he was right. I shrugged for effect and puffed my chest in confidence. I could still salvage this.

"Heh, a sleepless night full of crying Whismur and you're still as spunky as ever. Guess you didn't buy your way to the Champion's spot after all."

His eyes narrowed ever so slightly at my faux accusation. There wasn't any room for mind games with this one. It was time to show my hand and see if I could coax the rest of the information out by other means. One can't claim they are any good at interrogations unless they do their homework.

"Look, we've got enough information from your PokeNav that we know who to go after next. I just figured you'd like the chance to spare Stern's daughter the agony of watching us torture the information out of her father. She can't be older than six, right? That's too young to lose a parent…"

I trailed off as I began to slowly walk around to the prisoner's side, sneaking a sideways glance to see if I had struck a nerve. I couldn't see his face, but the Champion's hands had balled into tightly clenched fists. Finally I could hear a tremor in his voice when he spoke. Now we were getting somewhere.

"You would threaten the life of an innocent family just to get your hands on some research project?"

It was easy to come up with clever answers when you thought you held all the cards. But by threatening someone else, someone unexpected, thinking on the fly while combating the effects of fatigue wasn't easy, and I had finally gotten the Devon heir to slip up. There _was _a funded project at Stern Shipyards after all. Now to find out precisely what it was.

By now I had stopped my pacing directly behind where Stone sat. I clapped a heavy hand down on his shoulder, causing him to jump. Leaning in close, I made my move.

"So, now that we know you are conducting some kind of research, want to tell us what it is you're building with Mr. Stern's help?"

Silence told me Stone realized he made a mistake, and I felt his posture stiffen beneath my grip. I wasn't about to let him clam up again, not now. Tightening my hold, I prodded further.

"Ah-ah, don't hold out on us now. The Delcatty is out of the bag. Make this easy on yourself and just tell us already."

The time for being gentle was over, and I clamped my hold down tighter while digging deep with my grasp for maximum discomfort. The Champion tried to squirm away from my hold, but the ropes were too tight.

"Out with it, what's the link between the ancient tablet and your business with Stern?"

"There is no link."

I wasn't buying it. My hand deftly moved to the soft spot between neck and clavicle, and I drove my fingers in. Hard. The chair creaked as Stone writhed with pain.

"Let's try that again."

"Ahh—there is no definitive link!" his reply was cut off with a sharp gasp as I readjusted my grip. "We don't even know what's down there!"

I let go and sharply stepped back around to look the Devon heir in the eye.

"…Down where, exactly?"

Stone froze again, caught in another slip of the tongue. He quickly averted his eyes, and I could see the wheels turning as he tried to formulate a way to talk himself out of this one.

There was no way I was going to give him the time to do that, and I reached out once more to grab his chin and wrench his head back to face me.

"Down where?"

Too late, his jaw set locked and firm, eyes back in control, narrowed to meet my own gaze. I cursed under my breath and turned away before the frustration set in. I paced a few steps back near Courtney to regain my focus. I could see her staring wide-eyed over my shoulder, and before I could ask her why, she posed a question of her own.

"Mind… if I give it… a try?"

I needed a moment to reassess my strategy, so I didn't think twice before answering, "Sure, why not?"

"Hee hee… Thank you, Tabitha… Leave this… to me…"

Faster than I could follow, Courtney brushed past me and came to a halt with her boot planted squarely into Stone's chest. In the next instant, she had toppled both prisoner and chair over backward with a swift kick. I couldn't see the impact from where I stood, but a dull crack told me that the Champion's head had contacted the concrete floor as the chair toppled over.

Courtney stood unmoving over where the chair had fallen, shoulders hunched and voice tight. I nearly shouted out for her to stop, but I immediately felt my will to intervene wither under her burning glare, and I froze where I stood.

"Pick…him up."

The two grunts in the room quickly stepped forward and moved to either side of the fallen Champion. They began to hoist him upright with a firm hold on both his arms. Before they could set the chair back on four legs, Courtney moved again, this time producing a small blade from her belt. I felt the breath catch in my throat.

This wasn't part of the plan.

In one smooth motion, she deftly sliced through the ropes holding the prisoner to his seat. The chair clattered to the ground a second time, leaving the two grunts holding the stunned Devon heir. I felt my body relax once I realized she had no intention of gutting him right then, but I couldn't stir myself to any action beyond shocked silence.

As swiftly as her previous movements, Courtney continued in her action, bringing forth two more items from beneath her coat: a short metal chain and clasp. She deftly slipped the chain around the rope still binding the Champion's wrists, and motioned for the grunts to carry the man several feet to the back of the room toward the exposed metal structure near the ceiling. Selecting a particularly sturdy looking beam well above head height, she stretched upward and looped the chain over it and fastened the clasp, effectively securing the prisoner where she stood. Voice still low, she issued another command to the grunts.

"Let him… go."

They obeyed and wordlessly released their hold, letting the man's full weight sag forward, supported by only his wrists now bound overhead. The sudden strain on his shoulders elicited a groan from the Champion, still dazed from the contact between head and concrete mere seconds earlier. In an effort to ease this new discomfort, his feet scuffed along the floor, weakly finding purchase beneath him. Stiff from having been seated for so long, he stood shakily, tugging heavily on the new restraints above.

Courtney was not tall enough to reach a fastening point that would be able to completely suspend the taller man, but perhaps that was for the best, as it was certainly not easy to interrogate someone that was dangling by their wrists. The elongated position tended to starve them of oxygen before they could answer too many questions. I was hoping Courtney had not learned that one the hard way in an earlier interrogation and that her selection was simply a happy convenience.

Her voice cut through the air like the knife she still clutched in her hand.

"You… will talk now… Or… I will open you up… and analyze… what comes tumbling out…"

Something in her head must have snapped, and she decided that we needed information ASAP. With her threat, I knew Courtney was now determined to deliver as much discomfort as she could without killing Stone in order to extract an answer. I could not bring myself to agree with her tactics in this particular situation, but at the moment, I was in no position to stop her. Firstly, dissention between captors wouldn't bode well for a successful interrogation, and second, I certainly was not going to interfere with Courtney while she held that knife. I stayed silent, and secretly hoped Stone had enough sense to do the opposite, or else I'd have a second mess to clean up in as many days.

The prisoner did remain silent for a spell. Whether he was still woozy from the blow to the back of his skull, or back to his old stubborn ways, I couldn't tell. I did know Courtney's patience was reaching its limit, and he couldn't remain quiet for much longer.

Eventually he did speak, and when he did, my jaw nearly hit the floor.

"I can only assume that if you are willing to torture and kill for this information, then you have nothing but evil intentions for our research. If that is the case, then go ahead and end it because I will never tell you anything more."

Either he had gone completely off the deep end, or he had no sense of self preservation, but the last thing I expected him to do was to egg on the dangerous woman standing before him.

"Aha… you know what… you're right…"

Courtney turned the knife over in her palm, and then lowered it to her side, her grip loose. A figure moved at her side, and I realized the surly looking Torkoal had made its way towards her. It gently plucked the knife blade from her hand, clamping it in its beak. Looking pleased, it moved back to its trainer's side, huffing and puffing as its nostrils glowed with heat.

I was a bit surprised that Courtney did not object to the pokemon's thievery, but with her unwavering gaze locked onto the man before her, I doubt much of anything could have broken her concentration. I swear I could see the hate radiating from her petite form. I grimaced at the realization that this was not going to be very comfortable for the young heir.

Her now liberated hand found its way to her belt, revealing a pokeball from beneath her coat. She tossed it with an effortless flick of her wrist. Her Breloom trilled a cry as it materialized in front of the prisoner. Returning the pokeball to her belt, Courtney spoke once more.

"I know… what it takes… to ruin a man… and leave his vocal cords… intact. You'll talk… and when I'm done with you… you'll wish I had... killed you… instead…"

Throughout Courtney's speech, Stone kept his eyes on the dangerous pokemon in front of him, but at her last words, his eyes flicked up to meet her face. That's when Breloom launched its attack.

In a blink, it leapt forward with one hooved paw and planted a mach punch squarely to the Champion's unprotected midsection.

Whatever slack that was granted from the overhead restraints was immediately pulled taut as Stone tried to double over from the force of the blow. Eyes squeezed shut between coughs he had no way to brace for the next attack. Breloom wasted no time and swept its flail-like tail into the prisoner's side before spinning into a fearsome kick to the same spot. The double kick elicited a yell of pain from the Champion as he tried in vain to free his captive hands to guard against the repeated assault.

Courtney did not seem fazed, however, and stood idly by taking in her pokemon's handiwork. Breloom paused only briefly to look over its shoulder for a signal from its trainer. When she didn't lift a finger, it spun back around and bore down on the prisoner once more.

Stone staggered back and forth under the Breloom's continued onslaught. Blow after blow landed, twisting him about until finally his legs gave way and he was left swaying by his wrists. At this, Breloom paused from a wave of Courtney's hand.

Now gasping from the sudden weight tugging at his chest, the Champion scrambled to regain his feet to stifle the pain blooming across his battered frame. Without breaking her gaze on the man in front of her, Courtney recalled Breloom to its ball and shifted her weight to the other hip. She would wait for as long as it took for Stone to recover. She knew as well as I that pain was far more effective for coercion when administered in small bursts over a long period of time, rather than all at once.

As Courtney continued to watch the prisoner's struggles, the Torkoal began to move again by slowly sauntering up to where she stood. She didn't seem to notice the pokemon's approach, as she finally decided it was time to move from her position of the last ten minutes.

With only a few strides, she moved toward the Champion, stopping mere inches from his face. To his credit he did not flinch away at her proximity, although he could not stop from shaking from the aftereffects of the Breloom's attack. All of his concentration was now in keeping his gaze locked on to hers, searching for any sign of what this new tactic meant.

Tearing my eyes from the two people in front of me, I glanced down at the third member of the party. It was then that I realized the Torkoal still held the knife in its beak, and for all of its self-indulgent puffing, it had used its internally heated breath to turn the weapon into a glowing, orange blade. Courtney had planned this from the very start.

As I pieced this together, Courtney had moved even closer to the shackled man, gently placing a hand on his chest as she leaned into his shoulder. I saw him visibly stiffen at the contact, obviously confused at the sudden change in her previously hostile demeanor.

With her head now resting on his shoulder, Courtney turned her cheek so she could whisper directly into the Champion's ear. I could barely make out what she said.

"Since you have made up your mind… to not help us… then you will be… the first to feel… Team Magma's flames."

Still frozen in place, Stone's eyes flicked toward the woman on his shoulder, and then widened in surprise an instant later.

Courtney leaned back, releasing her grip on the white hot knife that was now buried up to its hilt in the outside of his thigh. I heard her stifle a small giggle before his strangled scream filled the room.

As the waves of agony traveled through his body, the Devon heir jerked sharply, unable to free his hands to grasp at searing wound. A small whiff of something burning reached my nostrils; the heat of the knife must have cauterized the wound when it pierced flesh.

Having taken several steps back to watch the scene unfold, Courtney waited for the prisoner's cries to trail off into labored panting before closing the distance between them again, and swiftly extracting the knife. Powerless to stop the pain once again, Stone's knees buckled and he was left dangling by his wrists a second time, gritting his teeth in an effort to stem the blinding anguish radiating from the wound.

Blocking out the prisoner's ragged gasps, I had seen enough to now know that Courtney had abandoned all hope of extracting anything useful, and had given in to the urge to simply hurt the man for all of the injustices he stood for. Striding forward, I seized the blood-crazed woman roughly by the shoulders and neatly marched her from the room, still clutching the now-blackened knife.

I barked an order to the Whismur squad grunts still in the room knowing they had been silent witnesses to Courtney's manic outburst.

"Keep an eye on him, but do not lay a hand on him unless it's to administer aid if his condition deteriorates. Leader Maxie needs him alive and coherent."

Both grunts gave a sideways glance to the other, then looked back and me and nodded. "Yes sir, Admin Tabitha."

Satisfied with their answer, I guided Courtney from the cell.

Back in the observation room, I finally spun Courtney to face me. Her eyes were wide and wild, pupils constricted even though the space was dimly lit. I knew she took pride in her work as an Admin, but I never thought she would find so much pleasure in what she did. My hands still firmly on her shoulders, I gave her a small shake to snap her from whatever trance she descended into.

"Hey, what was that?"

Her eyes slowly drifted upward to meet mine.

"Aha… He's never going to… give up anything… So before we're found out… we should get rid of him…"

"Courtney, we were on the right track. Besides, no one is going to find us down here. We've been here for months, and not one person had an inkling we had taken over this city for ourselves. There's no reason to end it now. Leader Maxie hasn't even arrived yet!"

"I know that… it wasn't… going to be quick… but that escaped pokemon… and Leader Maxie always lets me have… my fun…"

I sighed. "Sure, that Metagross escaped, but it doesn't know we're this deep underground and it's probably dead by now anyway. And yes, Leader Maxie always does. But that little stunt you pulled has Stone thinking we're ready to kill him. What makes you think he'll ever tell us what we want to know now?"

"But… I didn't kill him… He's still alive…" She almost sounded disappointed.

"Look, at this point it's probably best to let him stew in there until Leader Maxie arrives. He'll be able to help formulate a plan using the information we already have. Until then, let's get you away from the detention level. I think a change of scenery will do you some good."

"I guess… so… I just wish… we could find out more before… Leader Maxie gets here…"

"We've already done well to get this close to the answers we need. Leader Maxie said so during my last report, and now we've got that much closer. It won't be long until we can put our plans into action. Let's get some rest, Court. We've got some big days ahead of us."

She nodded, and I could tell that her breathing had slowed and her shoulders relaxed since we left the cell. The frenzy had passed for now. I reached down and removed the knife from her grasp and tossed it into the trash bin. Still hesitant to relinquish my hold on her shoulders, I smoothly wrapped one arm around her back and gently pulled her to my side while steering the both of us out of the observation room.

Courtney remained silent for the rest of the walk back to the elevator to take us back upstairs, and I spared a glance down at her after I had pushed the call button. Before I could ask her what she wanted from the dining hall, the chime sounded much sooner than I thought was possible and Courtney's hand flew to her mouth to stifle a small "Eep!"

I quickly glanced up at Courtney's reaction and promptly realized that in actuality, the chime did not signal the elevator's arrival; it announced that we had run out of time.

Leader Maxie stepped out of the elevator cab, his sharp gaze cutting into me deeper than Courtney's white-hot knife ever could.


	4. Chapter 4 - Tabitha (3)

**AN: A bit of a shorter chapter this time, but it was just too long to combine with the previous chapter. This chapter marks the kicking off point for the rest of the fic (so we'll be jumping away from Tabitha's POV shortly). Thank you again to everyone who has shared their thoughts and support along the way. I hope you enjoy Chapter 4 of DwtD.**

* * *

[Chapter 4]

* * *

"L-Leader Maxie, we didn't expect you to return until tomorrow, this is an unexpected, yet pleasant surprise!"

I hoped the quiver in my voice was just my imagination. When Maxie's gaze softened, the urge to wither subsided despite the sweat beading at the back of my collar.

"Tabitha, Courtney, I'm glad to see you as well. The grunts told me I would find both of you down here. You've done great work in my absence, and for that, I must thank you. Having the Devon heir in our grasp is a huge victory for Team Magma."

Both Courtney and I snapped a sharp salute at the praise. "Thank you, Leader Maxie."

As great as it felt being congratulated for a job well done, it really didn't go as smoothly as Maxie made it sound.

Before I could muster the courage to say just that, Leader Maxie continued on, "Now then, I'd like to fill you in on everything that has happened at Mt. Chimney, and I'd also like your full status report on Operation: Covet as well." His hand swung back and stopped the elevator doors from closing behind him. "Come, let's have a chat in my office."

Truthfully, as nervous as I felt, I almost couldn't contain my excitement at Leader Maxie's directive. It was quite unusual for our Leader to be absent during such a critical operation here in New Mauville, so whatever had caused him to leave for Mt. Chimney had to have been big, and I couldn't wait to find out what it was.

Wordlessly, Courtney brushed past me and into the elevator, and I followed suit. Leader Maxie slipped in after us and pushed the button for the seventh floor. We stood in an unnerving silence as the car hummed up one floor. Just before the elevator slowed to a stop, Courtney's voice broke the silence.

"Didn't you want…to see the prisoner?"

I almost hissed something nasty as my head snapped toward her with an incredulous look. We couldn't show Leader Maxie the prisoner in the state he was in now. We told him we'd interrogate Stone, not beat him half to death. Was she actually _proud_ of what she'd done to him? It didn't even get us any substantial information!

Mercifully, the elevator chimed as the doors slid open, and Leader Maxie barely spared a glance over his shoulder as he strode out of the cab.

"Not just yet, Courtney. From what I understand there's no reason to rush. Let's gather our thoughts and then we can discuss our next steps from there."

I exhaled in relief behind Leader Maxie's back. A strategy session would buy some time. Firstly, it might give Stone a chance to actually be in some kind of shape to answer our questions when we went back down for the next round of interrogation. And second, it gave me a few more moments to figure out how to gently explain how little headway we'd actually made in Maxie's absence. Swallowing thickly, I fell into step behind our Leader with Courtney drifting along after.

* * *

The door to Leader Maxie's office eased shut with a soft click and he settled at his desk, adjusting a stack of papers that was awaiting his return. He folded his hands gently on the vacated desktop.

"Now then, I'm sure you are both wondering what it is that called me away to Mt. Chimney so suddenly. You may not have been aware, but the scientists back at HQ have been monitoring the mountain's volcanic activity. A spike in that activity caught their attention, and I found it necessary to investigate immediately."

At Leader Maxie's news, I involuntarily leaned forward in my chair. Volcanic activity could only mean one thing. The target we'd been searching for for so long. The reason we'd taken over New Mauville. The objective that drove Team Magma's existence.

"Unfortunately, by the time I arrived, the volcanic activity had ceased. As a precaution, I remained at Mt. Chimney to conduct additional tests, but they were inconclusive. We were not able to either confirm or deny the existence of Groudon beneath Mt. Chimney. My apologies for not informing you two sooner, but I did not want to distract from the operation at hand."

My heart sunk. Leader Maxie's entire plan rested on discovering the location where the ancient beast slumbered, and considering the interrogation had so far been unsuccessful, we were back at square one when it came to finding Groudon's resting place.

Leader Maxie must have noticed my disappointment, as he gave me a reassuring smile when he sat back in his chair.

"Do not despair, Tabitha. It would have been a fortunate breakthrough if my visit to Mt. Chimney bore any fruit. As it stands, we have not lost any ground besides a few days of my time. And, from what I've heard, you and Courtney have done magnificent work in my absence."

Courtney hid a small smile behind her hand. "Anything… to achieve… your great vision… Leader Maxie."

I had to agree with her on this one, because what a beautiful vision it was. Certainly one that Courtney and I shared with our Leader. We swore our plan to secrecy, knowing there would be those that would oppose us. Although, no one would be powerful enough to stop us once the legendary pokemon was unleashed.

The Hoenn League had grown soft in their reign. We were able to flourish right in front of their eyes, and they were none the wiser. Devon was too blinded by their greed to see they were key players in the sorrowful destruction of the planet. Developing products to better humanity was far more lucrative than developing technologies to help heal a wounded ecosystem. It was almost poetic that they would find themselves playing a vital role in our plans to bring about this world's rebirth. I nearly scoffed at the motto. 'For all your living needs' indeed.

Maxie's warm smile turned toward my fellow admin. "I'm glad to hear that." He leaned forward once again, expression stern. "Now, I'm anxious to see where we stand with the Devon boy since your last report."

I sucked in a nervous breath and hoped Leader Maxie didn't notice the way I shifted under his gaze. It wasn't scrutinizing, but it still placed too much weight squarely on my shoulders.

I knew there was no real need to be so rattled. He truly was a sensible man. Under his command, rational thought always won out over action. It's what led me to strive for meticulous precision in my admin duties. Maxie made sure Magma had high standards from the top down, and I refused to be the weak link in that chain.

Yet, for as few times as I had seen Leader Maxie lose his temper, it felt like what I was about to say would bring his wrath down upon me. Instead, I figured I'd appeal to his sensible side with the positive news first.

"Per our earlier report, Operation: Covet was a rousing success. Our spies in Mauville have not observed any activity to indicate that Wattson or the League is aware that we have Stone."

I saw Leader Maxie nod. Things were off to a good start.

"With your permission, we proceeded with the initial interrogation, but Stone was not being cooperative."

"As I suspected," mumbled Maxie, more to himself than anything. I continued.

"Since then, Stone has undergone several rounds of, uh, _conditioning_, so that he may be more pliable for the next interrogation session."

"Mm, excellent work. Operation: Covet has truly been a great success."

But the praise felt empty. I couldn't allow the bad news to linger unspoken. I cleared my throat to show that my report wasn't quite finished.

"Although… There are a few things that did not go according to plan, Leader Maxie." I kept my tone cautious, not wanting to alarm the intimidating man in front of me.

"Hmm?" Maxie adjusted his glasses, a sign that I should elaborate.

"Unfortunately, one of the Champion's pokemon was able to avoid capture in our ambush. It was mortally wounded in its retreat, but we were unable to confirm its death before it was able to escape the city."

"I see…"

I suppressed the urge to gulp but continued on, my voice far more steady than I thought it would be. "We also have not yet been able to extract any concrete information that will aid us in our mission, only vague bits and pieces. The boy's PokeNav was recovered but it was rendered nearly useless by the electric attack used to secure his capture. All we have is a recent call log with no additional data." I couldn't maintain eye contact any longer, and stared down at the floor to dodge what was surely going to be a look of disgust on our Leader's face. "I'm sorry, Leader Maxie."

A chair creaked and to my surprise, instead of harsh words, I was greeted with a firm hand on my shoulder.

"Don't fret, Tabitha. I have faith that the pieces you two have assembled before us will yield something great."

My eyes snapped back up to meet Maxie's. His expression was one of gratitude, not anger. The man never failed to remind me of why I had long ago made the decision to follow him to the ends of the earth.

"Walk with me you two, I think I'd like to pay our guest a visit now."

Leader Maxie's belief in me mustered my courage enough to continue with my report as we stepped out of his office.

"There is one thing, sir. We were able to ascertain that Devon and Stern Shipyards are working together on some sort of research project. What it is though, he wouldn't say."

"Very interesting, although it makes sense, given the recent news."

"Leader Maxie?"

"Aside from the volcanic activity, the other item that delayed my travel back from Mt. Chimney was some very interesting news indeed. You see, we had already heard the rumor about the ancient powers of Kyogre and Groudon. But what I have only just uncovered is that this rumor may be linked to a previously unknown portion of the sea, somewhere in the middle of Route 128, along the deepest parts.

"The speculation is that there is some sort of seafloor cavern which may be linked to the awakening of the beasts. If this truly is the case, and Devon has had an extreme amount of interest in contacting someone at the Slateport shipyards, then they must also be aware of this information and believe it to contain enough truth to investigate. Therefore, I have reason to believe they may be developing some sort of technology or vessel to find a way to get a human down to this seafloor cavern. If we can obtain their research on the means to access the cavern, I believe we will be that much closer to achieving our goal."

By now we had reached the detention level, and yet I still was unsure how exactly Leader Maxie saw the pieces fitting together. I was getting nervous.

"But even in questioning Stone about the Oceanic Museum and his contact with Stern Shipyard in Slateport, he still wouldn't divulge anything. Is there another way to get him to talk with only this lead?"

"Fufufufu, even if he does not give us information himself, he still can be put to good use."

"What do you mean, sir?"

As always, I never could get a straight answer out of our Leader. He continued as if I hadn't even spoken at all and pushed open the door to the observation room.

"You said we have the boy's PokeNav, correct?" He held out his upturned palm. "And you said he has placed and received multiple calls from Rustboro, the Devon Corporation, no?"

I looked at his outstretched hand, and quickly realized what it meant. I fumbled in my pocket as I answered his question.

"That's correct, sir, but how does that help us?" I finally produced the device and placed it in his palm. "We know he obviously works for Devon, but he won't give up any information."

Leader Maxie took a moment to slowly inspect Stone's PokeNav before he spoke. "Tabitha, do you think the son of the President would just call any old office number on official company business?"

My eyes widened in realization. Leader Maxie continued.

"That means we have a direct line to the President of the very company we are attempting to extort information from. And we have his only son as a captive in our detention cell. I'm sure you know what I'm getting at now, Tabitha?"

I nodded dumbly, mentally chastising myself for not coming to the realization on my own. But that was why Maxie was our great Leader. He was the most brilliant person I had ever known.

"Now, let us reveal to our guest that all of his bravado has been for naught." And with that, Maxie toggled the door lock and strode into the cell with the two of us in tow.

* * *

Our brief absence from the detention cell no doubt gave our prisoner a much appreciated respite from Courtney's onslaught. Stone was standing under his own power, but I could tell from the way he wavered unsteadily that the physical punishment had taken a toll that even his steadfast determination could not overcome.

I stood to Leader Maxie's right hand side as he came to a halt in front of the Stone boy, giving the prisoner a once-over. For a brief second, I thought I saw Maxie's gaze flick toward Courtney, but it was gone in an instant. Drawing up to his full height, Maxie tucked his hands behind his back before beginning.

"Steven Stone, it is both an honor and a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I'd like to think that under different circumstances we may have been able to call ourselves colleagues and not enemies. But, I digress."

The Champion's eyes narrowed at Leader Maxie's cordial greeting, but he held his tongue as our Leader continued.

"My name is Maximillian Matsubusa and I am the leader of Team Magma. I believe you have already become acquainted with my associates, Tabitha and Courtney. They have informed me that you may be privy to some information that is vital to the success of our operation. They have also informed me that you have not been particularly cooperative during your stay. That is most disappointing.

"All we request is that you share that information with us, and then our business with you will be concluded. You have my word that upon disclosure of what we seek you will be released without further harm. I cannot undo what has already been done to you, but I can assure you that there will be no further punishment should you agree to help us. Does that sound amenable?"

For the entirety of Leader Maxie's speech, the Devon heir's glare never faltered. I had a sour feeling that Leader Maxie's generosity was going to fall short, just as my own did only one day prior.

When the Champion did speak, his voice was low and punctuated by ragged breathing. Courtney had really done a number on him in her manic stupor.

"Why would I help an organization that resorts to kidnap and torture to get what they want?"

Instead of being flustered at the sharp comeback, Leader Maxie smiled and chuckled softly; a far cry from Courtney's reaction earlier.

"Fufufu, it seems as if you do not fully grasp the circumstances of my offer. Truthfully, you are not in a position to refuse us. I am merely giving you an option to leave here with your life, or not. We will find out what it is we need to know one way or another. Does that change your answer?"

Stone's brow furrowed. "But why this research? You're not historians, so why would potentially the largest archeological discovery in Hoenn's history interest an organization such as yours?"

"Oh but that's where you're wrong. We _are_ historians, and what we seek will set this world back on the path it strayed from so many years ago."

Confusion flashed across the prisoner's face, and I knew Leader Maxie was in his element now. He relished an opportunity to show our enemies just how wrong they were. He adjusted his glasses with one hand before continuing.

"From the very beginning, pokemon have lived on this planet and thrived, both driving and reacting to the changes in the climate and ecosystems. The lives of pokemon and the life of the planet have always been intertwined. Then we showed up. Cultured and cultivated humans who thought they knew what was best. We befriended pokemon, and pokemon were all too eager to work and fight by our side. With their help, we have expanded our influence to all corners of the globe, pushing back the untamed wilds, shrinking the natural habitats of pokemon while simultaneous placing undue strain on the ecosystem.

"And what is driving this destruction? Why none other than the greed of man, fueled by corporations like Devon. Rather than give back to the pokemon that shaped our world, we have turned the world over to the money hungry conglomerates that are expanding the reach of their grubby fingers to mar the few safe places pokemon have left. So as you can see, we are historians of this planet, and that is why we must learn everything we can about the seafloor cavern."

Stone shook his head, now wearing an expression of frustration and annoyance.

"But Devon has no competitive stake in anything in the seafloor cavern. We're merely supporting a research expedition funded by the Oceanic Museum. It's not some power move or land claiming endeavor."

"Devon's interests don't concern us in this matter. What you do not understand, boy, is that there is a great imbalance in our world. Whether your fame or your fortune has blinded you to it, I cannot be sure. Nevertheless, we are the select few who have come to realize the great crimes of humanity; overreaching our bounds within the natural world and squeezing out the very creatures which shaped the land from the start."

"I don't believe I follow," the Champion rasped.

"Of course you don't, I wouldn't expect you to understand. Let me simplify it for you then. We will rid the world of its human plague, reestablishing the proper landmass for pokemon to thrive, and when the time is right, Team Magma will rise from the ashes and seek new levels of human achievement in cooperation with pokemon, to whom this world truly belongs."

The crescendo of Maxie's voice reverberated around the sparse cell before falling into silence. However, it didn't last long.

"That's… that's insanity! What you claim is not historical research, it's mass murder!"

"Is it though? Have you any idea of the limitless power of the continent pokemon? If it was not meant to be awoken again to cleanse the land, why would it still slumber in a cavern beneath the surface? Team Magma will unleash Groudon upon the world to bring about our new age!"

"What?!" There was a sudden rattle as Stone surged forward against his restraints with a startling amount of strength. "The ancient pokemon cannot be controlled, it's too powerful! If you awaken Groudon, it will bring about an end to this world, for people and pokemon alike!"

I glanced nervously toward Leader Maxie, and to his credit, he seemed unfazed by the outburst. "Fufufufu, that is where you are wrong, boy. We already know how to control Groudon. We only seek information on how to reach the location where it slumbers. And that is all that we ask of you and your father."

"My father?"

"Yes, since you have proven yourself to be uncooperative, we will go straight to the source for the information we seek." To prove his point, Leader Maxie produced the Devon heir's PokeNav from his pocket. "It seems as if we now have a direct line to the Devon President's office. I do hope your father is more open to working with us than you were."

"He wouldn't give into the demands of a madman like you."

"No? Not even with the life of his son in their hands? You may not be valuable to us as a source of information any more, but you are certainly worth enough in name and title alone."

From my position at Leader Maxie's side, I could see the Champion grit his teeth. His bound hands clenched into fists at the suggestion of such extortion at his expense. I could only guess how shameful it must have felt, had I been born as an heir to the largest fortune in Hoenn.

Were the circumstances different, I may have pitied him; he had earned a small portion of my respect for not cracking under some of the most effective methods of interrogation. But for all his noble stubbornness, he only had himself to blame in the end. The finality in Leader Maxie's voice cut through my musings.

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a phone call to make."


	5. Chapter 5 - Joseph

**AN: A big thank you again to everyone for the favorites, follows, and reviews. I do my best to reply to everyone, so please don't hesitate to ask or comment on anything. We're to the halfway point of the fic and picking up steam, so without further ado, here is Chapter 5.**

* * *

[Chapter 5]

* * *

It had been some time since Steven contacted me about the mainframe in New Mauville, so it was a pleasant surprise to see his caller ID on my office phone once again. My son had never been one to call regularly. In fact, he preferred to not have to contact anyone by phone if he could help it. I, and probably his other acquaintances too, had gotten used to going long stretches of time without hearing from him.

After savoring the sound of the ringtone one more time, I picked up the receiver.

"Steven! Good to hear from you again. How did everything go in New Mauville? Are you at the festival now? Although it's pretty quiet there for such a—" A voice interrupted me on the other end. A cold voice that did not belong to my son.

"President Stone." It wasn't a question.

I felt my gut twist. When you are the head of the largest business conglomerate in the hemisphere, they prepare you with drills and checklists and instructions for when someone doesn't like what you or your company is doing. Carefully laid plans that get recalled whenever an ugly situation rears its head. You steel your countenance for these inevitable encounters; it's all part of running a business, after all. But no amount of coaching can prepare you for that feeling as a father.

I knew in my heart that I just received the phone call no parent ever wants to receive.

"We have your son."

I closed my eyes as the knot of terror lurched up from the pit of my stomach. _Steven._

Swallowing thickly, I unclenched my fist from where it had involuntarily balled itself and laid my palm down on the cool glass of my desktop. Remember the checklist. Remain calm. Keep your composure. Don't let them get a rise out of you. _They have my son._ Establish the facts. Manage the kidnapper's expectations. Demand proof of life. _They have my child._

"Who is this?" I was surprised at the strength my voice held.

"That's not important right now. All you need to know is if you do not hand over all the research pertaining to the seafloor cavern, you will never see your son again."

The expedition?! So whoever this mysterious person was, they somehow found out about the research trip we had been organizing. But what could they possibly want with such fledgling research? We hardly had anything concrete. Although the theoretical concept of sea floor travel had been proven, the engineering had yet to be tested. And nothing had yet been confirmed about what lay within the cavern itself beyond wild speculation brought about by regional mythos.

"I hate to say this, but we have very little information about the seafloor cavern."

"You expect us to believe that, as if Devon has never hidden the truth before. We know you're involved with research and development of new technologies for seafloor exploration in conjunction with Stern Shipyards. You will give us what we want. Your lies hold immediate consequence, Stone."

In the background, sounds of a scuffle could be heard, punctuated by a loud thump and a cry of pain.

"Steven!" Damn it! I grit my teeth, and my hand tightened around the armrest of my chair. That was a mistake. Checkbox number three, don't let them get a rise out of you. _Steven, I'm sorry._ I took a breath. "How will I know where to deliver the information?"

"We will contact you at this number with details of the exchange. We get our information, you get your son. You have twelve hours."

"Let me speak to him. I need to know he will be safe while I gather the documents."

There were a few muffled sounds, and then I heard labored breathing through the speaker.

"Dad…"

The voice was hoarse, but it was his.

"Steven… Son, they've asked me to hand over the expedition research. No data is worth more than your life. They've given me half a day. So please... until then... I love you."

"Dad, no. You can't! My life isn't worth the lives of everyone in Hoenn! Don't give-"

The outburst was abruptly ended from the sound of another thump, this one much louder. Steven had caught both me and his captors by surprise. There was a clatter, the PokeNav must have tumbled to the floor in the confusion. Muffled shouting and several more blows were heard before the sinister voice returned.

"You have twelve hours. We'll be watching." And with that, the line went dead. I slammed the receiver back onto the cradle, cursing my luck that the Stone family stubbornness found its way to the next generation.

My mind was racing. When we spoke on the phone about the codes, there hadn't been any sign of distress. What could have gone wrong in New Mauville to have led to kidnapping and ransom? Was Wattson aware of any criminals in his underground city and neglected to warn Steven? Or was this unrelated to New Mauville altogether? The wheels were turning too quickly for me to remain stationary, and I soon found myself pacing the spacious confines of my office.

It wasn't just the situation at hand that had me rattled. What could Steven have meant by the lives of everyone in Hoenn? Were there more threats issued by these kidnappers on the general population? If this wasn't an isolated attack on Devon, were we dealing not just with kidnappers, but _terrorists_? I had no way of finding out short of complying with their demands and seeing where that landed us. Although by then, it would be too late…

Of course I wouldn't just roll over and give up everything Devon had all tied up in a neat little bow. Have some faith in this old man. The trouble wasn't what I was handing over, it was how little time I had to do it. Files could be encoded and stored on a portable memory device quickly enough, so that wasn't the issue. It was putting a plan in place that would ensure Steven's safe return.

I had no guarantee the kidnappers would actually release Steven when the data was handed over, and I was certainly not going to take my chances to find out if they were honest criminals. I had to come up with a plan of action, and soon. I rubbed the bridge of my nose, my mind flying through a million possible scenarios all at once, and none of them sounding very good considering I didn't even know where he was being held.

And why the seafloor cavern? I wasn't lying when I claimed we had little information. While we may have an entire R&D department devoted to the expedition, we knew precious little about what lie in wait for us beneath the ocean's surface. The main thing we had been focusing on for the moment had to do with the means and methods to reach the bottom of the ocean in the first place. With so little information since the confirmation of the cavern's existence, rumors spread like wildfire, claiming its proximity to Sootopolis and the Cave of Origin meant it was somehow tied to the legendary…

"Oh my god."

I ran to my desk and snatched up the receiver, hitting the extension for my secretary. "Get me the Sootopolis Gym, now."

The call rang three, now four times. This was not a good time to let it go to voicemail, Wallace.

Finally an airy voice answered, "This is the Sootopolis Gym. Leader Wallace speaking."

"Wallace, thank goodness. This is Joseph Stone, Steven's father."

"Oh, Mr. Stone, how wonderful to hear from you! I can't say I was expecting your call though. How are things in Rustboro City?"

I kept my tone low. "Not good, Wallace. I need your help with something of extreme importance."

"Of course, Mr. Stone." I could tell I had made my point; the flourish in Wallace's voice had vanished. "How can I be of service?"

"What can you tell me about the legendary beasts Groudon and Kyogre? More precisely, how could one go about resurrecting them?"

"Oh my. That's an… oddly specific question. As a Sootopolitan citizen and guardian of the Cave of Origin, I'm going to have to ask that you explain why it is you're looking for this information."

"Wallace, I believe Hoenn is in grave danger. As a member of the Pokemon League and close friend of my son, please promise me that what I'm about to tell you does not get repeated to just anyone."

"You have my word, Mr. Stone."

I took a deep breath and exhaled. "Steven is being held hostage by a criminal organization, and I have reason to believe that their aim is to revive the ancient legendary pokemon. They contacted me just now demanding Devon's research on the seafloor cavern in exchange for his life." I took another steadying breath. "If there really is a connection, and that cavern is where the legendary pokemon slumber, I need to know everything about them. I cannot allow our extorted research to aid these criminals in their goal. They will soon have the means to reach the seafloor in their hands, and I must do everything in my power to make sure they are unable to summon Groudon and Kyogre."

The other end of the line was quiet for a beat.

"Mr. Stone… I..." Wallace's voice trailed off into silence again, and I swallowed thickly, hoping that telling the overly-exuberant Gym Leader everything wasn't a mistake. But when Wallace spoke again, his voice was quiet, albeit a bit shaky. "Does anyone else know about this yet?"

"You're the first person I've told, Wallace. I trust that the only people who will learn of this troubling situation will be those directly involved in stopping this evil plot and rescuing my son. I cannot go to the police, for if any of this goes public, it could incite mass panic."

Another breath.

"Understood. I, Wallace, will do everything in my power to save Steven and prevent the awakening of the legendary pokemon."

It sounded as if he was cheering himself on, and I grimaced. I didn't really go about delivering the information that his best friend was at the mercy of an unknown terrorist organization in the most tactful manner. I was about to apologize, but his voice came through the receiver again, this time much more calm and composed.

"Now, what I know from Sootopolis' history is that the Cave of Origin is said to be the birthplace of all life, and according to legend, the place where Groudon and Kyogre first appeared. Citizens of the city are forbidden from entering the Cave, but the legend states it's not actually where the two pokemon slumber. Unfortunately, I am not as versed in the process to awaken the beasts, although I do know someone who is. Phoebe of the Elite Four is from Mt. Pyre, a place rumored to contain the power that sealed the ancient beasts away so long ago."

"Do you know how to get in contact with Phoebe?"

"Well, when I last spoke with Steven…" A pause. "...He did say the League had taken a brief hiatus for the week. I can certainly check to see if she is back at Ever Grande City yet."

"Thank you, Wallace, please do that. I would join you myself, but I must remain here in Rustboro to put together the information for the ransom. They have only given me twelve hours, so we need to work quickly."

"Then I will set out for Ever Grande without delay. Mr. Stone…" His voice faltered. "What about Steven? How do you know the kidnappers will hold up their end of the deal?"

I sighed. "I don't, which is why I need to ask you for another favor."

Silence filtered through the phone, and when Wallace spoke again he sounded flustered.

"Whatever I can do to help, please let me know."

"I appreciate that, Wallace. As I said, I have no intention of helping these criminals achieve their goal, so my plan is to only give them partial data sets of what they demanded. That way I have leverage to demand they release Steven, should they not do so as they originally agreed. I only need part of the twelve hour window they've given me to accumulate the files. I need your help during the remaining hours to put together a rescue operation should the deal go south."

I paused to see if there would be any objection, but when the line stayed silent, I continued.

"This operation would strike while I am stalling for time in getting the remaining files the kidnappers have demanded. Please enlist the aid of the rest of the Elite Four and be prepared for a potential clash with these kidnappers."

I sighed. For a plan that had only materialized in the last few minutes, it sounded pretty good when I rehearsed it in my head. And yet when I delivered it to Wallace, it somehow felt so flimsy. Part of me was hoping Wallace would pipe up with some League protocol for this sort of thing, but again he held his tongue, probably hoping in vain I had more to go on than best guesses and a half-baked rescue mission. I took another breath.

"Sadly, this is all I have right now. I don't even know where Steven is being held. The last thing I heard from him was that he was heading to New Mauville on an errand for Wattson, but that was nearly 24 hours ago. I'm not entirely sure what's happened since we spoke. The call the kidnappers placed on his PokeNav was not traceable, so I'm not sure where they might be. I plan on contacting Wattson when we are done here to see if he knows anything more."

I knew admitting we had so little information was like a dagger to his heart. The faint rustle from the other end told me he had shifted, and all I could picture was the slump of his shoulders in defeat. But when he spoke again, his voice was full of conviction that buried the unease I held earlier.

"I understand. I will rally the troops when I arrive in Ever Grande, and I will also let Phoebe know you are in need of her help."

For the first time since that fateful phone call, I felt the feeling of relief bubble up through all the worry.

"I can't thank you enough, Wallace. Please, give this number to Phoebe, it's my personal number and I will want to speak to her as soon as possible."

"Of course, Mr. Stone. And I shall share my PokeNav contact with you as well. Please call me as soon as you find out any more information, I will be waiting anxiously in Ever Grande, ready to assist in any way I can. We will all pray for Steven's safe return. Now, I will be leaving immediately."

"Godspeed, Wallace."

As I ended the call, the relief vanished along with Wallace's voice. My head sunk into my hands, elbows feebly propped up on top of my desk. All of the doubts and uncertainties that had clawed to the surface through overtaxed mental defenses were back, and just as fierce as before. Was I doing the right thing? Would my hastily conceived plan be enough to protect Steven? Was I foolish to think I could gamble with such high stakes when I held none of the cards?

It's not often that I found myself searching for answers like this. Even in times of uncertainty, the president of a major corporation was always expected to keep a level head and a steady hand to lead his employees through tough times. Right now though, this wasn't about Devon or any of its people. This was about my family and possibly the fate of the entire region, and that was more terrifying than any business deal or board meeting.

Rolling my head to the side, I caught sight of the time-worn photo that always sat perched on my desk. I sat up and reached for the frame, my fingers finding familiar purchase on the tarnished metal.

"Sylvia, what should I do? Please, help me get our son back."

I knew the photo of my late wife wouldn't be able to answer me, as this was not the first time I had turned to her memory for guidance. Sylvia was a wondrous spirit whose smile spoke a thousand words. Her quiet strength and endless patience kept me grounded during the tumultuous early years of the corporation.

When we welcomed Steven into this world, she seemed to glow with love for our son. Her gentle smile never faltered even when I had to call and explain that I would be working long into the night. We were a happy couple with a healthy baby boy enjoying the success of our growing company.

But the good fortune that had smiled upon our family turned and Sylvia fell ill. Even with the most advanced medicine at my disposal, I could do nothing to save her from her illness, and she passed away when Steven was just five. To say that I was able to fill the void that Sylvia left behind would be complete falsehood. The only thing that stopped me from losing everything was my belief that if I kept working hard for the benefit of my company and my family, everything would turn out okay. It was in times when hard work wasn't the answer that I turned to my late wife for help. This was one of those times.

My comforting ritual served to quell the unease in my gut, and I closed my eyes in a brief moment of meditation. What had Sylvia told me when things looked rough?

'_Joseph, focus only on what you can control. Concentrate on those things, and the rest will fall into place.'_

I swear that woman could have turned Devon into twice the company I had built.

The panic that had been building took backseat to rational thought. What was within my control? First and foremost I had to assemble the data for the ransom. That would be a simple task. What next? I could come up with a plan to ensure the kidnappers couldn't go back on their word, and to do that, I had to locate Steven. But how…?

Calmly, I went back over the concrete facts in my head. The last thing Steven had told me was about his errand for Wattson and plans to attend a festival in Mauville City afterward, and I hadn't seen anything on the BuzzNav about the festival that would indicate Steven made an appearance as he said he would.

Now, I knew my son was never the most social person and had a tendency to fall out of contact whenever he had an idea in his head or a lead on some interesting geological discovery, but he was never one to back down from a challenge. Wattson knew as much when he had invited him to battle at the festival. I had a feeling that if Wattson had not seen or heard from Steven since his errand to New Mauville, there was a very good chance my son never made it out of that underground city.

For the second time that day, I heard the phone at the other end of the line ring far more times than I could afford.

"Hello, you have reached the Mauville Gym. We are not accepting challengers during the Food Court Opening Festival. If you would like to schedule a challenge after the conclusion of the Festival, please press 1. For all other matters, please press 2. Thank you for call-"

I cut off the cheery message with a jab to keypad and waited for the redirect to connect me to the reception desk.

"Hello, thank you for calling the Mauville Gym. This is Renza, how can I be of assistance?"

"Hello Renza, my name is Joseph Stone. Could you put me through to Wattson please? I am in need of his help on a very sensitive matter."

"Uh, I'm sorry Mr. Stone. Leader Wattson is overseeing the Food Court Festival at the moment and isn't in the Gym. Can I take a message?"

"I hate to be so insistent, but Renza, I need you to please find Wattson and have him call me back as soon as possible. I cannot elaborate on the matter any further, but know that time is of the essence. Please tell him the President of Devon needs his help immediately."

"P-President?" Clearly I had flustered the young woman by throwing around my title. I didn't enjoy name-dropping to get my way, but these were extenuating circumstances. "I'm sorry Mr. Stone, I didn't realize. I-I'll go find Leader Wattson right away."

"Thank you, my dear. Please have him give me a call back at this number when you do find him."

"O-of course! Please accept my apologies for any delays in your business with our Gym Leader."

"Thank you again, Renza." And I ended the call.

As I hung up the phone, I sighed and massaged my temple where the beginnings of a headache had started to form. The waiting was going to be the hardest part of the whole ordeal. Where there was waiting, there was inaction. When there was inaction, there was uncertainty. And where there was uncertainty there was hesitation, and hesitation was the enemy of decision making. In the business world, indecision could cost you money and reputation, but this was no business deal.

With the swirl of emotion stirring in my gut once again, my mind drifted toward the inevitable guilt that follows you as a parent and a father. Was there something I could have done differently to have avoided a situation like this?

The logical answer was that once my ambition set me on the path to become the head of the most prolific company in Hoenn's history, it painted a target on the backs of myself and my loved ones. Nothing short of living in fear and paranoia would have prevented a carefully calculated and coldly executed plan for kidnap and extortion. But, as I learned from my father, and undoubtedly passed along to my own son; come what may, a Stone will always weather the storm. And I had zero intention of having my family play an unwilling part in unleashing a storm upon Hoenn.

The ringing of the telephone cut through the silence of my office and I glanced at the caller ID. Renza had been true to her word.

"Hello, Wattson."

"Joseph! What great timing, I was thinking about giving you a ring earlier today, but then I lost track of time with festival and all that. You know how much of a party animal I was back in the day. Wahahaha! What can I do for you?"

At the sound of Wattson's effervescent tone, I had to pause to marvel at the man's boundless energy, secretly wishing I could harness some of it for my own. "I have a feeling we were calling about the same thing, my friend. You haven't heard from my son recently, have you?"

"Steven? Not since I had him doing me a small favor in New Mauville the other day. I challenged him to come battle me at the festival later, but when he never showed up, I figured he had something more important to do for the League. That boy works too hard, so I figured he'd enjoy blowing off a little steam while the League has a short break, but I guess duty calls a bit stronger than vacation, wahaha!"

"Hmm, I figured as much. Wattson, I need to ask for your help. Steven was not called away on League business…" I sighed heavily, no amount of repetition would make what I was about to say any easier.  
"About an hour ago I received a call from an unknown organization demanding ransom in exchange for his life. Now that I know Steven never contacted you about the festival, I believe he was ambushed and taken captive in or around New Mauville."

"What?! Joseph, you can't be serious." In an instant, the joy had vanished from Wattson's voice. What replaced it was nothing short of a guttural growl. "Who would do such a thing in my city?"

"I…I don't know. All that matters now is formulating a plan to rescue my son, and to do that, I will need your help."

"Whatever I can do, consider it done." Wattson was rattled by the news, no doubt. But for all his exuberance, when it came down to it, he was still a damn fine Gym Leader. He always knew when it was time to get down to business, and that was something I could very much appreciate.

"First I need your assistance in determining if Steven is still within New Mauville or if he was taken elsewhere. You must have some sort of remote access to the security systems of New Mauville to check and see what floors have been accessed and where."

"Oh Joseph, I'm rubbish when it comes to all of that. I barely know how to check my own email. It'll be easier for me to take a team of trainers from my Gym and go down there to check myself."

"No, the city is far too large, and if we storm in without knowing exactly where to look, we put Steven at risk. If the kidnappers see us coming, they'll know we have no intention to cooperate with their demands. Before we make any moves, we need more information." My mind was going a mile a minute. "Tell you what, I'll send over my best technical team and they can work the remote access terminal themselves. They can be there within an hour. I would come myself, but I need to remain here in case the kidnappers try to contact me again."

"Ah, I understand. You always had a good head on your shoulders, Joseph. I'll have my trainers get the computer all set up for your team when they arrive." His tone faltered a bit before continuing, "I'm sorry, I never imagined such a simple favor could turn into this. I promise I'll do everything I can to get Steven back from this mess. I can't sit idly by while something dastardly lurks in my city."

"Thank you, Wattson, but there's no need to apologize. I don't blame you for any of this. Although, I do recommend being careful with who you trust with this information. There is enough foul play afoot to suggest there may be an informant in our midst who is aiding the kidnappers."

"I hope you're wrong about that one, Joseph, for their sake…"

"I do too, my friend. But until we know for sure, it's best to exercise extreme caution."

"Will do. I'll call you back as soon as your team arrives."

"Thank you, Wattson. Goodbye for now."

Even before the call ended, I was on my feet. There was no time to waste in gathering together a team of top network specialists to send to aid Wattson in Mauville. Sure, a phone call to the department would have been quicker, but with the kidnapper's thinly-veiled threat of "they'd be watching", the potential of a mole within my company meant I couldn't risk sending communication through unsecured channels. I would assemble the team myself.

The door to my office clicked shut behind me, and my secretary looked up from her computer screen.

"Mr. Stone?"

"Ah, I hope I didn't startle you, Sascha. Something came up, so please hold all my calls this afternoon." I put on my best poker face. No need to alert any of my staff to what just transpired.

"Certainly, Mr. Stone."

"Thank you, Sascha. I'll most likely be working late tonight, so feel free to leave the lights on when you leave."

"Of course. Will that be all?"

"That's it for now, thank you."

Pleasantries exchanged, I hustled as quickly and as casually as possible toward the lab sector. I couldn't risk alerting anyone to my mission, not with the potential of an inside informant.

I was fortunate to only exchange greetings with a few passersby on my trip to the labs. I keyed my access credentials at the lab door and swiftly stepped inside. The lead scientist greeted me with some surprise.

"President Stone! We weren't expecting you to drop by today or else we would have prepared our readouts for your review."

"No worries, Dr. Hall. I'm not here for an inspection. I actually have a favor to ask of you instead. Would you be able to spare your computer systems team for the rest of the day? I have an important task that I could use their expertise for."

"Uh-of course, we're only running the data sets for the rest of the day anyway, so they won't need to be on call today."

"Excellent, excellent." I smiled and turned my attention to the technicians sitting at a bank of computers off to my right. "Gentlemen, pack up your mobile devices. I've got a job for you in Mauville."

* * *

In only a little more time than I had predicted, I had briefed my hand-picked team on their mission to Mauville City. The three technicians would head directly to the Mauville Gym and assist Wattson's team in manning the New Mauville security system. From there, they could use whatever data that system logged to determine if anyone had entered or left the city at a certain time. I outfitted them with headsets that would allow me to communicate with them from my office in Rustboro while they worked. I needed real-time feedback if I had any hope of formulating a rescue plan, should Steven still be within the city as I suspected.

With their orders in hand, the team boarded one of Devon's private fleet and took off for Mauville. I glanced at my watch. In about forty minutes, the phone in my office would ring with Wattson on the other end. Forty more minutes of waiting. Forty more minutes of uncertainty.

Instead of returning to my office to wait, I headed for the one place I knew I would be able to pass the time without driving myself crazy; the fossil lab. I had always taken an interest in paleontology, and had considered the career path for myself before I got swept up in business. I guess it was no surprise that Steven picked up a habit of heading underground to search for hidden treasures.

As I pushed open the door, the automatic lights clicked to life. No one was working in the lab as of late, the funding for the fossil project had been cut back for a while now. I leaned a hand on the case that held the fossil samples, but even the sight of my most prized collection couldn't stem a new emotion bubbling to the surface.

Animosity churned my gut, for those who would dare to level such threats against my family. Anger joined it for the shortsighted selfishness of this organization's goal of resurrecting the ancient pokemon. Nothing good would come of such an act, and in all likelihood, should they succeed in their evil ambitions, there wouldn't even be a Hoenn left for them to rule over.

I dropped my gaze to the fossils once more, and part of me wished I chose the path to become a trainer, so that I could be one of the ones to levy punishment to anyone who dared to challenge the peaceful and prosperous lives of Hoenn's citizens. But, instead I selected the path of science. I would use the power of my mind, not pokemon, to combat any evils that would befall our homeland. Sylvia's voice rose again at the back of my consciousness, dampening the growing flames of resentment to ones of smoldering determination instead.

'_Don't waste your energy on thoughts that cloud your judgement. Instead, stay intent on fulfilling your hopes and dreams; I know they hold only the most noble of intentions'_

"Anything for you, darling. I love you to the moon and back. And anything for Steven. God knows how much I owe him in the first place." I rolled my gaze skyward. "I wish you could be here to see what an incredible young man he's become, and it's certainly not because of anything I've done."

Closing my eyes, I gave myself time for one last calming breath before I turned for the door and toggled the lights off behind me. A quick glance at my watch assured me that by the time I reached my office, Wattson should be calling shortly after.

* * *

I had barely sat down in my chair when the phone rang, right on schedule. Too tired to stem my impatience, I snatched the receiver and hoped Wattson could ignore the edge in my voice.

"All set, Wattson?"

"You bet, Joseph. Although your team tells me things aren't looking great. It seems like these baddies are actually in control of a good portion of New Mauville. Let me put one of them on so he can give you the technical mumbo jumbo."

I nodded numbly, not caring that it wouldn't be seen.

"Hello Mr. Stone, this is Jefferson. Like Mr. Wattson has said, whoever these guys are, they've got control of most of the surveillance and building service systems in at least eight floors of the city. We didn't probe any deeper than the first level of clearance to avoid detection."

"Were you able to gain access to any security footage? Is there any sign of Steven?"

"Not from what we've been able to access so far. They've got full control of security, and we can't learn anything more without letting them know we're knocking on the door."

I hoped the sound of my fist slamming into the desktop wasn't audible over the phone. I should have known it wouldn't have been that simple, but my frustration at how little information I had finally got the better of me.

"So what _can_ we do then?"

I flinched as soon as the words left my mouth. It wasn't helping anyone to snap at Jefferson like that.

"Well, sir, it looks like it's still a live system. We can see data inputs still being sent along the majority of the floors so that tells me –"

I cut him off. "—then the city must still be occupied! To take control of so many floors, they must be using New Mauville as a base of operations!"

"It certainly seems that way. If that's the case, then we can dig deeper to find out what they're doing down there for sure, but that carries the risk of alerting them to our presence."

"Jefferson, how much time do you need to take back control of the city?"

"All of it, sir?"

"At least full control of the security systems and maybe the electrical systems too."

I could hear some discussion in the background, then Jefferson's voice once more.

"If we're going to want to stay incognito as we do this, at least six hours, maybe more."

Six hours… Half my allotted total time, and more than half of what remained. It was too long to wait for confirmation that Steven was there. But if the preliminary data was right and the city was still in the terrorists' hands, then we could assume that the chances they had Steven there were high. But was it high enough to leave things up to chance alone? My heart said no, but the words that left my mouth said otherwise.

"Get it done, Jefferson. I'll need regular status updates on the overall progress, and if you find anything – anything at all – that confirms Steven is still within New Mauville, please contact me immediately."

"Yes, sir. It'll be done in five."

Even with Jefferson's faith, there would be no room for error. Curt formalities were exchanged, and the call ended as the technical team got to work.

Without setting the receiver down, I reached over and punched in the PokeNav number Wallace had given me. Uncertainties aside, I had enough information to go on the offensive. Now it was time for action.


	6. Chapter 6 - Wallace

**AN: Not much else to say this time other than we've got four chapters left. Next chapter might have a delay as it's the one that needs the most work before it can be posted. Everyone who has read and reviewed thus far has been amazing, and your patience is appreciated. And away we go.**

* * *

[Chapter 6]

* * *

As soon as I heard the line to Rustboro disconnect, I flew into action. Or so I wanted to. My body had betrayed me, and all I managed to do was stare at the receiver clenched in my trembling hand. For all my bravado over the phone, I couldn't shake the dread that had wrapped itself around my shoulders. What an awful emotion so unbecoming of someone such as myself.

And yet I could barely muster the strength to hang up the phone.

The conversation with Steven's father had been clear enough; there was no mistaking his words, as much as I wished I could pretend he'd said something else. At least one of the Stones could be bothered to share what was troubling them without prodding…

Steven. What in the world could have happened to you? The strongest trainer in the region, the strongest trainer I know, he wouldn't have gone down without a fight. There must have been foul play afoot, something befitting such cowards who would hold hostages and demand ransoms.

My blood began to boil, and that finally stirred my feet from where they'd frozen. It did no good to sit and mope. Steven needed my help, and if he were in my shoes he'd already be halfway to Ever Grande by now, probably with some half-cocked scheme that he'd discard and improvise three times over on the way.

Tittering nervously aloud to my pokemon as I gathered my things, I would leave for Ever Grande post haste.

"Philip, my darling, I do hope you're prepared. We are setting out to help our dear friend." My Whiscash bobbed up to the surface of the gym's central pool and lolled its wide mouth open in a slow whine. I flashed a smile back.

I always found it eased my nerves to talk to my pokemon. Even though they could never truly answer me back, they shared a look with me that held sympathy and understanding beyond what words would convey. For that, I was eternally grateful.

"Come now, Victoria, there will be time for training once Steven is back safe and sound." I recalled my Milotic to her pokeball. "You too, Richard. I fear I will require the grace and power of each and every one of you for this mission." The afore-named Sealao shuffled up to me and nudged the button of his pokeball, giving a sagely nod before disappearing onto my belt in a flash of light.

Before I could move again, something brushed against my cheek with a small chirp. "Oh Elizabeth, I'm such a frazzled wreck right now. Of course, I'm worried about Steven, and Hoenn too." The tiny Luvdisc chirped again and somersaulted in the air. "You're right, it's unbecoming to be so jittery. Once we are on our way, I will surely regain my composure. Thank you." I recalled her as well, and collected my travel satchel from the table.

I grabbed my cloak and donned it along with my team of four, and headed out of the Gym to collect my final partner.

"William! We need to head to Ever Grande City immediately, are you ready to take a trip?"

The mirror-like surface of the Sootopolis Crater Lake rippled for only a scant few seconds before erupting into a million glistening shards as my Gyarados surfaced with a throaty roar. Before the waters could calm once again, I climbed onto William's back.

"Quickly, let's get going!" And with another roar, we left Sootopolis in our wake.

* * *

The trip to Ever Grande was not a long one by any means, but with the weight of Mr. Stone's news fresh on my mind, it felt as if it were an eternity. I couldn't help but let my thoughts drift to Steven. He and I had become fast friends ever since he first passed through Sootopolis on his quest to gather the eight badges required to challenge the Pokemon League.

Most trainers were all flash and fire, but Steven was different, and perhaps that's why I had been so drawn to him when we met all those years ago. With quiet command, he made quick work of my team before making it to the final match with Master Juan. I stood by and watched his Gym battle, and I couldn't believe that a team made of rock and steel types would ever claim victory in Sootopolis's Gym. Yet in the end he strode away, Rain Badge in hand. It was then that I decided I had to commit his name to memory so I could track him down later and have a rematch to regain my lost pride.

He was happy to oblige, and introduced himself as simply as Steven. Not Steven Stone, not the Devon heir apparent, just Steven. I was thrilled to make the acquaintance of my first self-appointed rival and Steven was pleased to have made a friend who didn't care about his money or his title.

Our friendship grew each time we met. Steven was more than happy to travel to meet me for a rematch, and I was happy to hone my battling skills against his powerful team. We'd talk for hours after our matches and we'd always end with the promise that we'd meet again someday on the stage at the Pokemon League.

One day when we had been talking about our family, Steven let slip that his father was none other than the President of the Devon Corporation, and I reacted with surprise, as one would expect. Steven panicked, understandably, and it took every ounce of my patented charm to convince him that our friendship was not in jeopardy with the newfound revelation.

I think the most endearing quality of my friend was always his straightforwardness. There were no hidden meanings, or secret musings, or ulterior motives when it came to being friends with Steven Stone. He wore his heart on his sleeve, for better or for worse. What he showed you is what you got, and what I got was a friend who had a bad habit of soiling expensive suits on long cave expeditions, a knack for raising terrifyingly strong and loyal pokemon, and a tendency to care more for the people around him than he did for himself. And that was why I knew I had to do whatever it took to bring him back home.

I was broken from my thoughts by a faint whining sound coming from overhead. I craned my neck skyward, as did William, the sound gradually getting louder. Against a backdrop of blue and white, I noticed a dark colored disc streaking across the sky. I felt a low rumble emit from William, and I could sense his confusion as it matched my own. The shape of the silhouette didn't match any of the flying type pokemon I knew to frequent the skies between Sootopolis and Ever Grande.

"Now what in the world could that be?" I mused aloud.

William reached his head up even higher toward the incoming object and roared loudly.

"It certainly is coming closer, and… is it trailing smoke?"

I could feel William quicken his pace toward the now visible Ever Grande coastline, but kept my eyes glued to the object above us. It was steadily becoming clearer what the object might be. My eyes widened in realization.

"William, is that a pokemon? It, it looks like… a Metagross!"

My growing panic at the all-too-familiar pokemon was drowned out by my Gyarados' affirmative roar as the now identified flying object passed over our heads, losing altitude rapidly. I felt something softly rain down onto my upturned face. I swiped my hand to clear the particles, and was dismayed to find black smudges marring my fingers. The smudges came from charred flakes that I realized with a start must have come from the Metagross's steel hide.

It was severely injured. This was not good.

I raised my eyes from my hands and sought to locate the stricken pokemon again. A Metagross that was gravely wounded and headed in the direction of the Pokemon League. It had to be –

"Oh no, it's dropping too quickly! It won't clear the cliffs to make it ashore!"

True to my assessment, the Metagross's flight path plummeted sharply as it closed in on the rocky coast. In an explosion of dust and stone, it slammed full speed into the cliff face, and then tumbled into the churning waters below.

"William, hurry! Dive in and bring it back to the surface!"

I somehow managed to not blurt out that we might have to look for a human body beneath the waves too, but something in the back of my mind told me that even if this was Steven's trusted partner, he couldn't have been riding on its back. I prayed my intuition was right.

Bracing myself tightly against the scaly plates of William's neck, he issued another mighty roar before plunging beneath the waves to locate the fallen steel behemoth. Once we were submerged, I opened my eyes and scanned the depths to try to spot a glint of blue steel against the rocky sea floor, hoping I wouldn't see a hand or a leg floating in the tide instead…

As the surf tumbled overhead, I spotted a shape in the shifting light that was too cylindrical to be a natural formation. I signaled to William with a touch on his side, and after a brief pause he too located the same silhouette. Working quickly, he wrapped his powerful tail around the Metagross and surged toward the surface. Before breaching I quickly reached to my belt and released Victoria. She emerged from her pokeball at full speed, already flashing through the water with her multicolored tail. I readied my command, and as we broke through to the surface, I shouted, "Victoria, William, both of you use Waterfall! Climb that cliff and get us to solid ground!"

Both pokemon exited the water with enough force to clear the reach of the crashing waves below. Curling gracefully in mid-air, a synchronized waterfall attack blasted beneath us, creating a rising platform of pressurized water that lifted our little group above the line of the ridge above before gently depositing all of us onto the grassy lawn of the Pokemon League.

I gratefully caressed both of my pokemon in thanks, but there was no time for pleasantries. Throughout the ordeal, Metagross had not stirred. Its eyes were barely visible red lines within their dark sockets.

"Victoria, use your ice beam to create a frozen path to the Pokemon Center. Metagross will be too heavy for William to carry on land."

With a melodic cry, the horn on Victoria's crown glowed blue, and she carefully crafted an icy sheet from our position to the League's front door. I patted William's flank as both of my pokemon began to gently nudge the injured Metagross towards the Center. I took this as a chance to scrutinize the extent of the steel pokemon's injuries, and my heart sunk with grief.

More than half of its blue hide was scorched black, its normally angular body was rounded and sunken, probably from the extreme heat that charred its skin. One rear leg was bent at an impossible angle, and as my eyes drifted back towards its front quarters, I had to stifle a gasp. Where there should have been a fourth appendage was nothing but a blackened stump.

Its front right leg was completely gone.

I bit my lip when my stomach churned at the discovery. It was a small miracle that the pokemon had even made it this far without succumbing to its injuries.

The double doors to the League whirred softly open, and I called to Nurse Joy who was stationed at the front desk.

"Please, come quickly! This Metagross needs immediate medical attention." It took a concerted effort to not let slip exactly whose Metagross it was…

Joy was quickly at my side, her petite hands fluttering over the stricken pokemon in gentle, yet deliberate passes.

"Oh dear, this pokemon needs immediate treatment. Can you recall it back into its pokeball? I can't carry it into the operating room like this."

"I'm sorry Nurse Joy, it's not mine. I don't have its ball."

Before she could question how I came into possession of someone else's Metagross, a voice came from across the room in the direction of the Elite Four's chambers. "I might have a fix for that."

"Sidney!" exclaimed Joy, "I didn't realize you had returned. Please, what do you have in mind? Time is of the essence."

The Elite Four member produced a small gray stone from his pocket. "I was saving this to show Steven, but it looks like it'll be more useful here." I'm glad he didn't notice my flinch at the name I'd been trying to avoid. "Besides, he probably already has a dozen of these things."

He casually tossed the stone at me and I caught it with a small juggle, surprised by the near weightlessness of the object. I wracked my brain of all the impromptu geology lessons I had endured.

"Is this a float stone?"

"Yeah, slip it into that Metagross's claw and it should significantly reduce its weight. Then your Gyarados should be able to carry it into the OR for Nurse Joy."

I nearly beamed that at least I wasn't the only one who got something out of Steven's ramblings about rocks, but it was quickly squashed by the situation at hand.

The petite nurse gave a small bow. "Thank you so much, Sidney." She then turned to me. "Would your Gyarados be willing to help out?"

"Of course, my dear! William would stop at nothing to help out a fellow pokemon in need." Again, I hoped that my theatrics would keep Joy from questioning the whereabouts of its owner any further. William picked up on my nervousness and quickly rumbled an agreement before coiling his tail gently around Metagross as I slipped the weight-reducing stone into its claw. The hold item worked its magic, and William was able to heft the bulk of the steel pokemon off the floor with ease.

As Joy's heels clicked away into the emergency room with William following obediently behind, I turned to Sidney. "Well, aren't you a sight for sore eyes."

"Heh, good to see you too, Wallace. You here to see Steven? He's not back from our vacation yet."

"Actually," my voice lowered, "I'm here because of Steven. I got a call from his father no more than an hour ago."

Sidney cocked his head quizzically. I took that as a sign to elaborate, and I nearly shivered from the weight of what I was about to tell him.

"Steven… hasn't returned yet because he is currently being held against his will by an unknown criminal organization. They have demanded sensitive information from the Devon Corporation in exchange for his release."

Sidney gaped at me in shocked silence, so I continued before I lost my nerve.

"I'm here to request your assistance, and the assistance of the rest of the Elite Four to head a strike team to rescue Steven should the thugs refuse to uphold their end of the deal. Also, I need to speak with Phoebe about a matter related to this situation. Is she here?"

"Yeah… yeah, she's here." Sidney's voice was distant, still processing what I had just revealed. "Wallace, you don't think… Was that _his_ Metagross?"

His question brought the unease back to my gut with double the intensity as I nodded silently, too afraid to admit aloud to both Sidney and to myself that that really was Steven's pokemon.

I jumped in surprise as Sidney slammed his fist against the nearby wall. "Those bastards," he hissed. "Wallace, where are they? I'll tear them into a million bloody pieces."

If I had not known the man for as long as I did, I might have wilted under the fury emanating from his person. Instead, I raised my hands in a placating gesture; this wasn't the time to fly off the handle.

"Sidney, please. I'm just as upset by this as you are, but we cannot rush in without a plan. These are powerful and crafty foes. Steven was never one to be taken by surprise, and look at poor Metagross. One misstep could be the difference between getting him back alive or…" I couldn't bring myself to finish the thought.

My words must have struck some sort of reasoning with the dark type master, as he let his hands fall to his sides. I could tell from his face, though, that his anger was simmering just beneath the surface. His reply was terse.

"I'll find Glacia and Drake. Go ahead and see Phoebe, she should either be in her office or in the meditation room."

As he stalked off toward the double doors, I looked toward my Milotic who remained in the lobby since our arrival. She cooed a soft reassurance, and I couldn't help but offer a small smile in return. She always knew when to be the calming presence by my side.

"Thanks, Victoria. We're all worried about Steven. But we'll find a way to get him back, I promise. Now let's go find Phoebe."

My unease buried with a sense of renewed purpose, I recalled her to her pokeball and followed after Sidney into the Elite Four's chambers.

* * *

Phoebe's normally cheerful demeanor fell somber as I relayed the Devon President's inquiry. She remained quiet for a spell, her face a mask of quiet contemplation. When she did reply, her words were very deliberate.

"I only know a little from what my grandmother told me when I was growing up on Mt. Pyre. She didn't tell me much about her shrine guardian duties. I think she didn't want me to follow in her footsteps and spend the rest of my life stuck inside Mt. Pyre's borders.

"What she did tell me is that there are two objects, orbs specifically, within the shrine, and they hold the key to maintaining the balance of our world. I've seen the orbs only a few times, but I know that one glows with an intense red aura, and the other with an unwavering blue light. Side by side, the orbs sit and slowly pulse in unison, almost as if they are living, breathing things.

"Grandmother never mentioned Kyogre or Groudon by name, but from what I know of the ancient legends, it certainly appears as if these orbs have some relation to these pokemon. I have to believe the Devon President is also aware of the ancient legends, so Wallace, why would he be so interested in learning how to awaken the beasts?"

I frowned. It was never my intention to tell Phoebe about Steven's plight. She would be insistent on joining the rescue operation instead of going to Mt. Pyre to protect the orbs. I opted for a half-truth to answer her question instead.

"President Stone informed me that he received a very credible threat from a mysterious organization that is looking to revive Kyogre and Groudon for their own evil purposes. He turned to us for help in thwarting their plan."

Her brow scrunched in determination. "Then it sounds like the best thing for me to do is to head to Mt. Pyre to aid my grandmother in protecting the shrine.

I met her stare with an equally determined look. "Thank you, Phoebe. Take this with you as well. It's the number to contact President Stone. If you could let him know you are on the case yourself, it will surely ease his mind."

I stepped forward to give Phoebe the scrap of paper containing said number, then hastily turned toward the door of her chamber. As my hand reached for the knob, the sound of her voice froze me in place.

"There's something else you wanted to tell me, isn't there?"

Slowly spinning to meet her knowing gaze with wide, startled eyes, I could barely stammer a response. It hadn't initially been my intent to hide the other reason for my visit to her chambers, but she saw through me anyway.

"Yes, but… how?"

She offered me a small smile and shook her head.

"No, I'm not psychic. I didn't read your mind, Wallace. But I did sense something else, or rather someone else, projecting strong emotions. I can sense feelings of intense worry, coming from a pokemon." She frowned, and I couldn't help but think that such a look did not suit her petite features one bit.

"You can sense Metagross's presence in the Pokecenter?"

She nodded in response. "Yes. I can get a reading from any pokemon that projects strong a psychic aura. Granted, I'm much better at communing with ghost type pokemon, but that doesn't mean I can't feel the presence of other types of pokemon too. This one is in a lot of pain, but the strongest projection is one of concern for someone else… Its trainer."

"Phoebe, that Metagross is Steven's." When her eyes flickered with confusion I swallowed thickly and continued. "That something else I didn't tell you… about Steven. The reason President Stone is asking about the legendary pokemon is because this evil organization is holding Steven hostage until he hands over Devon's research on where they think these beasts slumber. Metagross must have escaped capture and flew here to get help."

My own gaze had fallen to the ground during my explanation, and when I mustered the courage to look back up, Phoebe's eyes had begun to well with tears, but they did not lose their fire.

"Wallace," her voice was quiet, but strong. "Why didn't you tell me this in the first place?"

"I'm sorry. I didn't want to distract you from protecting the orbs. Keeping them out of the hands of the enemy is just as important as rescuing Steven."

"You don't think I'd realize that?" Her tone wasn't accusatory, and she offered a small smile. "Wallace, you don't have to worry about orbs, they won't fall into the wrong hands. You go get Steven back home safe, for all of us."

Now it was my turn to smile. "Thank you, Phoebe, although it is easier said than done. We don't even know where he is being held…" I trailed off, recalling Phoebe's earlier words. "Wait… Phoebe, dearest, do you think you could ask Metagross where Steven is?"

"What do you mean?"

"If you can understand what Metagross is feeling, perhaps it could tell us where it escaped from, and that could lead us to Steven."

The frown I despised so much returned to her face. "I'm really only able to fully commune with ghost pokemon. Psychic types project enough aura for me to understand emotions, but I barely have any practice in understanding full words from them. I'm not sure this is going to work."

I swept forward and grasped both of her hands in my own. "I implore you, at least give it a try. Metagross risked its life to come and find us; it surely will find a way to tell you what it knows."

My words must have worked, as Phoebe nodded. "Okay, I'll try."

"Oh darling, I know you can do this! I believe in you. Now let's hurry, there isn't a moment to waste."

Still holding onto her by the wrist, I whisked the both of us down the hall toward the Pokemon Center.

* * *

The hallway back into the depths of the Pokemon Center wasn't a particularly cheerful passage, but perhaps it was only my perception of it given the circumstances. The walls were a rosy sort of pink hue, but it didn't give me any reassuring warmth as was most likely intended by the color selection. We quickly came upon the operating room, and peered in through the large glass pane of the observation window.

What surely would have been a chaotic scene only moments earlier was now an eerie calm. Metagross lay unmoving on the operating table, swathed in some sort of metallic bandages and large patches of salve. Remedies for the extensive burns it suffered during its escape, no doubt. My eyes were torn from the injured pokemon by the fluttering of Nurse Joy as she moved about the room, cleaning up the remains of her life-saving efforts. Her smock was streaked with black, most likely from brushing against the charred hide of her patient. And then my eyes fell upon one particularly large bandage at the front of the pokemon's body. A bulb of dressing cradled and protected what remained of its right front leg, which admittedly, was almost nothing. The strongest member of Steven's team, and it would certainly never battle again.

A quick glance at Phoebe told me she was as equally disturbed by the condition of our friend's partner. Tears glistened at the edges of her eyes, and one hand covered her mouth in disbelief. I wrapped my arm around her shoulders in a comforting fashion, although I could only imagine what she sensed from the injured pokemon just beyond the glass.

As much as it pained me to see the mighty pokemon in such a helpless condition, I knew that Steven was the kind of man who would not see this as a setback. He would be overjoyed to learn that Metagross had survived its harrowing escape. You see, although he was the Champion, Steven never had an overwhelming passion for battle. Certainly he did have the strongest team in Hoenn at his disposal, but he would much rather spend his time with his partners exploring an ancient geological site, or traveling the world on some grand adventure, instead of seeking challengers to make his team even stronger. In spite of its grievous injury, Metagross would surely maintain its place as Steven's most beloved partner.

Because of this, I would do everything in my power to ensure Steven's safe return. For his father, for Metagross, and admittedly, for myself. I steeled my nerves and whispered to the woman at my side.

"You can do this, darling."

Wordlessly she nodded, still not tearing her gaze from the window before us.

The sound of the OR door sliding open caused the two of us to look over in time to see Nurse Joy exit the room. Lost in thought, she jumped in surprise when she noticed us standing there.

"Oh, Leader Wallace, Phoebe, forgive me! I didn't realize you'd be waiting here. Metagross will pull through, although it will take some time for its injuries to fully heal."

"Thank you for all your efforts, Nurse Joy. I hate to be so abrupt, but we need to be able to speak to Metagross, may we see it now?"

Nurse Joy recoiled as if I had asked to kick her Lilipup.

"Absolutely not! This pokemon needs to rest. Given the severity of its condition I cannot allow you to disturb it. Once it is well enough to leave the OR, then you may see it."

It seemed as if no amount of patented Wallace charm was going to sway her opinion. From what I could see, she was perfectly justified in protecting her patient. But there were extenuating circumstances she was not privy to, and I braced myself to deliver the news.

"Nurse Joy, it is imperative that we are able to see Metagross. This pokemon may be the only creature who knows the current whereabouts of the Champion. His life may be in danger, and we need its help. It flew all the way here in that condition to find us and get help."

It was Joy's turn to cover her mouth in surprise. I continued.

"We do not intend to disturb its rest. Phoebe will be communicating with it through psychic channels, which hopefully will not tax its body."

"I've already sensed its psychic energy since it arrived," Phoebe chimed in from my side. "It only needs to be alert enough to sense my own energy in return."

With the knowledge of Steven's plight and our intentions, I could see the internal struggle written on Joy's dainty features. It was her duty to ensure the well-being of her patient, but on the other hand, her patient very well may be holding the life of its trainer in its hands. Wordlessly, Joy nodded.

"I understand now, Leader Wallace. All I ask is that you do everything in your power to not stress this pokemon any further."

"You have our word, Nurse Joy." I offered a sincere bow of thanks.

Joy offered a small bow of her own, and toggled the OR door before quickly setting off down the hall back to man her post at the Center's front desk. I watched as her figure stopped in the hallway's entry, now joined by two more silhouettes. Footsteps soon told me that we would have more visitors.

"Sidney, Glacia!"

"Hello Phoebe, my dear, good to see you after our short break," Glacia smiled. She was a warm-hearted trainer, despite what her speciality might suggest. However, her smile was short lived as she continued, "I do wish we were reuniting under happier circumstances though. Sidney has filled me in on the situation at hand."

Sidney nodded at her side, "I called Drake too. He's still away in Dewford and agreed to join us once we had a plan of action."

"Well, hopefully we're about to start formulating that plan."

Both Elites looked at me questioningly, but I had already turned to Phoebe, meeting her gaze with my own. The youngest Elite nodded determinedly before silently stepping through the OR door.

Once inside I motioned for Sidney and Glacia to join me near the entrance, letting only Phoebe approach the injured pokemon. With a finger to my lips, I bid my two companions to remain quiet and observe.

Gently, Phoebe stepped closer to where Metagross lay and broke the silence with a voice barely louder than a whisper. "Hi Metagross, it's me, Phoebe. You did a very brave thing, coming to us for help. We're ready to help you, but we need just a bit more help from you before we can."

The large metal pokemon remained silent at her words, its eye sockets still dim and for all appearances, lifeless.

Undeterred, Phoebe leaned in close and softly asked, "Metagross, if you can hear me, please, tell me what you can remember. Where did you escape from? Where is Steven?"

Whatever doubts Phoebe may have held in her abilities were immediately quashed. No sooner had she uttered the second question, Metagross's eyes blinked to life and blazed bright in a burst of psychic energy.

The haunting cry that issued forth is something I will not soon forget; a bone chilling mix of metallic chattering and an animal-like howl, the sound carried equal parts of pain, desperation, and concern. I knew at that moment that Metagross was willing to expend as much of its remaining energy as it took for us to understand what it was trying to say, even if it cost it its life.

With a gasp, Phoebe sat back roughly onto the floor of the OR, eyes wide and seeing something the rest of us could not.

"New Mauville," she chanted. "They were caught in an ambush and Steven was taken somewhere deep inside the city. Steven commanded Metagross to escape the city and come find us."

Metagross's gaze fell to where Phoebe sat and reverberated a softer cry that couldn't be mistaken for anything but gratitude. Its voice trailed off into silence as its eyes closed and dimmed dangerously low.

"Don't worry, I can still sense its aura," whispered Phoebe. "It is feeling relieved now that it has completed its mission. Let's let it rest now. Thank you, Metagross."

Silently, we shuffled out of the OR and back to the Pokemon Center's lobby.

Sidney was the first to break the silence. "New Mauville, huh?"

"So then that's where we'll search, although I can't say I'm terribly familiar with that city," Glacia stated.

I nodded. "Let me call President Stone to inform him of what we learned. He will likely know more about New Mauville than we will, or at least know someone who does. But first…" I walked over to where Phoebe was standing and gave her a huge hug. "You did wonderfully, darling. I can't thank you enough."

"You were right, Wallace. Thank you for believing in me. Now I will believe in you to find Steven and bring him back. I need to be on my way to Mt. Pyre to see my grandmother about the shrine."

"Be safe, Fee. We don't know what those bastards may try next."

"I will, Sidney, thank you. I look forward to seeing you all again once this is over."

With a smile and a wave, Phoebe left the Pokemon Center with determination in her stride.

The lobby fell back into silence, and I used the opportunity to bring out my PokeNav to call Mr. Stone. Just as the device left my pocket, it began to ring. Looking at the caller ID it appeared I no longer had a call to place.

"Mr. Stone, what brilliant timing."


	7. Chapter 7 - Wallace (2)

**AN: Well that certainly took long enough, didn't it? I apologize for the wait for this chapter. In truth, I had the majority of this fic written before posting, with this and chapters 8 and 10 unfinished, thinking that by posting it would get me over the block that kept this fic incomplete this long. Unfortunately, it did not. But, this chapter is _finally_ ready, so I give it to you now. I'm including a short bit from the previous chapter here, as this chapter picks up right where chapter 6 left off. I hope you enjoy.**

* * *

**_Previously:_**

_The lobby fell back into silence, and I used the opportunity to bring out my PokeNav to call Mr. Stone. Just as the device left my pocket, it began to ring. Looking at the caller ID it appeared I no longer had a call to place._

_"Mr. Stone, what brilliant timing."_

* * *

[Chapter 7]

* * *

"Oh?"

The surprise in Mr. Stone's voice drew a small smile from me. It was good to know I could still pull a fast one on even the most meticulous of planners. Like father, like son, I thought wistfully.

The surprise was short lived, though. Mr. Stone cleared his throat once before getting right down to business. "Yes, well, that's good to hear, Wallace. I'm on the line with Wattson as well. Have you been able to get in contact with Phoebe?"

"She's already on her way to Mt. Pyre. She knows, too… about Steven… But that only will make her more determined. The orbs will be safe."

I could hear Mr. Stone's sigh of relief through the speaker. "Thank goodness. Thank you, Wallace. That's not what I'm calling for, though. Time is running out and we need to come up with our plan of attack. Are the Elite with you now?"

"They are," and I nodded towards my companions for their benefit. "I'm putting you on speaker so we all can hear."

"Excellent. Thank you all for your assistance."

"No need to thank us, Mr. Stone," said Glacia.

"Yeah, there's no way we'd sit by when Steven needs our help," Sidney added.

There was something to be said about Steven's effect on others. If you were to speak with any member of the League, they'd all agree. When Steven Stone asked for a favor, his friends would do anything for him. It was just the sort of person he was; money and power had nothing to do with it. So of course when that favor carried the dire weight of such importance, there was no hesitation. I hoped our responses would make that abundantly clear.

"Drake's not here at present, but we did get in contact with him and he is in full agreement as well. And we have other news as well." I couldn't hide the excitement from my voice. "We know of Steven's whereabouts! We are confident he's being held in—"

Mr. Stone cut me off. "New Mauville, I know."

"Wait, how?" I sputtered.

"That's where I come in," Wattson piped up, sounding more deflated than I'd ever heard him. "Steven was there looking into something for me there when this happened."

Mr. Stone continued. "Steven had called me about Wattson's request before the incident. Wattson and I spoke, and my people are in Mauville now. They confirmed it through the city's security system. Or at least as best they could." He paused, and then asked the question I had been dreading ever since he revealed they knew about New Mauville as well. "Wallace, how did you uncover this information?"

I swallowed thickly. "Metagross. Metagross told us."

"Metagross?"

"It's here with us in Ever Grande." My gaze slid toward the closed OR doors. "It escaped and came here for help, but it's been gravely injured."

A beat of silence held over the line. Mr. Stone knew his son's starter pokemon well. Well enough to know how powerful it had become, and if it only barely escaped with its life…

"What kind of people are we dealing with?"

The way Mr. Stone muttered the question told me it was said partially to himself, but that didn't stop Sidney's ire from boiling over.

"The kind that deserve a royal ass-kicking," he growled. "There's no way it was a fair fight. It couldn't have been. I say we bust in there and take 'em down. They'll never be able to stop all of us, dirty tactics or not."1`

"No!"

I flinched at Mr. Stone's sudden outburst.

"No…" he continued, his voice sounding more subdued, more tired. "We can't risk it. No matter how they did it, they still managed to overpower Steven. Metagross's condition is proof enough that these are dangerous enemies. We should avoid fighting them if at all possible."

"Avoid fighting?!" Sidney was incredulous. "What're we gonna do, just walk in there and ask if they can let him go all polite?"

"Sidney, he's right." Glacia's tone cut through Sidney's anger, leaving the dark-type expert glaring, but silent. "If I were in their position, I would absolutely use a hostage's life as a deterrent to an all out attack. At the first sign of a double-cross, I would make them regret not complying with my demands."

I heard Mr. Stone shift on the other end of the line, and I feared his stomach churned much the same way as mine at Glacia's assessment.

"I'm sorry to be so blunt, Mr. Stone, but it's the truth. Exercising caution and avoiding conflict is the right approach."

Swallowing at the tension that clouded the air, I spoke up. "I agree with Glacia as well. No matter how much Sidney has a point, we cannot gamble with Steven's safety." I looked between the two Elite to see how my diplomacy had fared. The stakes were too high to let disagreements linger. They were also too high to not let the voice of the man with the most to lose be heard. "Did you have a plan in mind, Mr. Stone?"

His heavy sigh echoed through the tinny PokeNav speaker. "We go along with their demands. I deliver the information, and you will be the party to meet with them for Steven's release."

"What?! So you're just going to trust these thugs?"

Glacia shot Sidney a venomous look, but to Mr. Stone's credit he didn't miss a beat.

"No. There's a reason I want you four to be there."

"We're taking back the city," came Wattson's voice, and this time I was the one to blurt out an objection.

"You want to siege New Mauville with just four trainers?"

"Yes! Well, no… I mean, Joseph, you want to explain?"

"What Wattson means to say is, you won't be alone. Our tech team is in position and will take back control of New Mauville's systems remotely. They're working on it as we speak. That will buy you time to make your move. Lead the charge, and Wattson will join you with a squad of trainers in order to take down these terrorists."

The way Mr. Stone nearly spat the final word was like a switch being flipped in my heart. This operation was huge for him and for us at the League. Steven was the center of both of our worlds. But this was also so much more. This involved all of Hoenn. The people threatening Steven's life also threatened the lives of every single person in the region. Mr. Stone was able to look beyond his emotions and not lose sight of this fact. Frankly, it was awe-inspiring.

I hardened my stare at the PokeNav in my hands before looking around the room at my compatriots. We all needed to do the same.

"Consider it done," I said, receiving two nods in agreement. "When do we make our move?"

Mr. Stone sighed again, and I could picture the tired lines forming across his brow. "That I don't know for sure. By my count we're halfway to the deadline. How quickly can you get to New Mauville from there?"

"As soon as you say the word, Mr. Stone."

A pause. The wheels were turning. "Hmm. As much as time is of the essence, we can't show our hand too early. Take the time you need to prepare yourselves before you leave for New Mauville. Once you get there it'll just be a waiting game until the deadline. I know the plan is to sneak in but… There's no way we can hide your presence the entire time. If you can get to Steven without raising alarm… Then that might be our best chance..."

His voice trailed off, and I swallowed. No doubt it was a struggle to weigh the lives of those rushing in against the one already hanging in the balance. Mr. Stone's voice was heavy when he spoke next. "You most likely will be fighting your way out of the city."

I glanced up at the Elites and was not surprised in the least to see a bloodthirsty smirk plastered across Sidney's face. Beside him, Glacia's hardened glare stared back at me with determination. I held their gaze as I gave my reply.

"We were already aware there'd be a clash with the enemy at some point. We're ready."

The ensuing relief in Mr. Stone's voice was palpable.

"Wallace, everyone… Thank you. I don't mean to make this sound dramatic, but it all rests on your shoulders now. I've done all that I can from here, but I can say any trepidation I'm feeling is eased in knowing that this mission falls to your capable hands." He paused for just a breath. Just long enough to have made the traditional prayer's accompanying gesture. "May the gods smile upon us in this trying time."

I had never known the Stones to be religious, but even without the unexpected prayer, it was clear that all of the weariness Mr. Stone had been holding back finally had broken through.

It was as if a dam had burst, and everything came cascading down. The torrent of emotion and terror and worry that had been beating against Steven's father rushed forth. But instead of withering beneath the crushing pressure, facing the raging floodwaters served to bolster my confidence, like any Sootopolitan worthy of the name of our ancestors. I squeezed the PokeNav in my hand, as if the device could transmit the strength of my promise all the way to Rustboro. Gods knew Mr. Stone needed it.

"Failure is not an option we are even considering, Steven is our family, too. The next time we speak, he will be back safely at our side."

"Thank you, Wallace." He paused, like he wanted to say something more, and I already knew he'd considered the alternative to my words. I didn't allow him to formulate the words.

"We should begin our preparations. Goodbye for now, and may the gods smile upon you as well, Mr. Stone," I said, and I ended the call.

A blanket of silence fell over the lobby. In my hand, the PokeNav felt like it tripled in weight. With the absence of Mr. Stone's voice, the worry he'd managed to hold at bay seeped from the now-quiet device and into my veins. My heart felt heavy, like the weight of the whole ocean was bearing down, creating cracks in the glass of the brave facade I had erected.

This wasn't the first time I had felt such a weight. As a Gym Leader, every battle is fought as if it were the last, and the pressure on the contest stage is as furious as the sea in a storm. I had weathered both time and time again.

But this weight was oh so different. The life of a friend —my best friend— hung in the balance. There was no 'we'll get it next time' or 'our best just wasn't enough'. It had to be enough.

As if reading my mind, Glacia turned to the rest of us in the room, her words laced with fearsome chill. "I think it's time we introduced these terrorists to the trainers they chose to cross when they threatened our family and our home. Take the next hour to prepare what you need. We leave before dusk."

Sidney's scowl was concurrence enough, and he filed down the hallway toward his chambers in seething silence. Glacia followed behind, leaving me alone in the PokeCenter lobby, save for the quiet ministrations of Joy at her post.

I certainly wouldn't have time to return to Sootopolis before we left; it was just too far and there was no way I wanted to be alone with my thoughts on the way to New Mauville. I also didn't want to bother either of the Elites during their own preparations. As loquacious as I could be with my pokemon, I knew it was hardly appropriate with most others, especially in such grave circumstances.

It was then that I made the decision. I gave Nurse Joy a polite nod before pushing my way through the doors back toward the OR. There was certainly one being who did not deserve to be alone right now.

The lights were off and the door closed, just as we had left it, shrouding the room that held the Center's lone patient in twilight. My gaze found its way past my own reflection to where Metagross lay, clinging to life, to hope, that what it had given was enough.

My eyes refocused to this side of the glass, and the reflection that stared back at me dared me to doubt. Challenged me to second guess. Are you not the worthy successor of the Sootopolis Gym, Lorekeeper and protector of the Cave of Origin?

I would make sure it was enough.

I rested a hand against the glass, casting one more look to the brave soul inside. "We'll bring him home, I promise."

* * *

Glacia found me in the PokeCenter lobby an hour later, Victoria curled against my side. I only noticed her arrival thanks to Victoria's soft trill.

"It's time," she said, and I nodded, returning my Milotic to her ball.

Sidney joined us a minute later, the same look of determination chiseled across his jaw as an hour prior, and without another word, the three of us took off into the dusk-touched sky.

* * *

By the time we approached Mauville City, night had settled over the land, enabling us to arrive undetected before proceeding to the agreed meeting point. Mr. Stone's plan was a sound one, and we were able to locate the specified location easily enough.

The three of us huddled together in the shadows of Route 110 beyond the reach of the pools of light cast from the bike path's streetlamps, and waited for Drake's arrival. With Mr. Stone's warning that there may be an enemy spy in Mauville City, we couldn't afford the luxury of waiting for the appointed hour in the comfort of open civilization. No, this was an operation which required the utmost secrecy and stealth. Fortunately, Sidney's team specialization allowed us to remain hidden from view from even the most determined of onlookers, surrounded by a pulse of dark aura radiating from his Absol.

True to his word, we did not have to wait long for Drake to join us. He quietly crouched next to Sidney and offered a curt nod in greeting. Glacia reached down and removed the package carefully hidden inside one of the bushes containing four of Devon's high tech earbud communication devices. They would serve as contact between all parties should the deal go sour.

We each donned an earbud and silently hoped they were in good working order; we could ill afford any slip ups for such a delicate operation. We couldn't risk testing the devices ahead of time, as the communication channel was to remain closed until the last hour of the deadline drew near.

A grim silence settled over our party as we watched the minutes tick closer to the fateful hour. Until that moment arrived, there was little we could do but stay out of sight and keep an eye on New Mauville's entry for any sign of enemy activity.

It was surely the worst wait of my life.

After I had agonized over every possible scenario at least six times and was starting on my seventh, I nearly jumped out of my skin when the crackle of Mr. Stone's voice came through our earpieces. It was abrupt, as if we were flung into the middle of a conversation. A quick glance at Glacia confirmed it; it was time for the exchange.

"—have your data. Where is my son?"

The voice that came through in response was nearly static-free, and my gaze involuntarily flicked to the shadowy depths of New Mauville. We were close to the source of the transmission… My gut clenched. Mr. Stone was right, the culprits were still there.

"In due time, President."

"What do you mean? That wasn't part of the deal."

"My dear Mr. President, why would we begin to trust you now, of all days? You give us the data, we corroborate it to make sure you aren't up to your dirty tricks, and then we release your son."

"That's –"

"Fufufu, you must understand. In our position, we can't take any chances."

"What makes you think I'd leave this up to chance?"

"Oh, a carefully constructed double cross wouldn't be chance, now would it?"

Icy fear surged through my veins. Did they somehow know we were coming? The way Sidney tensed beside me told me I was not alone in my panic.

Mercifully, the voice paused only a moment longer before chuckling lightly, unaware at how right they had been. "Simply think of this as a check and balance, if you will."

"Then I need my own check," Mr. Stone countered without missing a beat. "Let me speak to my son, or I send nothing."

"A fair proposition. Give us one moment, then."

"What do you need a moment for? Let me speak to him now."

The silence that held across the line was punctuated by the rising tension in the President's voice.

"Answer me!"

But only static crackled in response, and Glacia and Drake shared a nervous look. If this plan went south before we got the word, would we just rush in anyway and hope it was enough?

"Hey. Wake up." It sounded far away, and there were distinct sounds of something shifting on the other end of the line. "Say something."

Silence.

"I said start talking, or I'll kill you."

"…Then do it." Barely a whisper, but I heard it. Mr. Stone must have, too.

"Steven!"

The scuffling that came through the line was cut short as the first voice spoke up again.

"I apologize, it seems as if he's not very talkative at the moment. Is that check enough for you, President? Do we have an agreement?"

"If you have hurt him anymore—"

"I said, do we have an agreement?"

Mr. Stone's frustrated growl drove a nail of finality through the exchange. "Yes."

"Lovely," quipped the voice. "Ah, and it looks like our techs have confirmed the data transfer is underway. We will contact you again with a time and place you can retrieve your son."

"No," Mr. Stone began, "You stay on the line with me while—"

A short click echoed across the line.

"They hung up. They hung up the call. Stop the transfer!"

"President Stone, I… I can't. They've sent too many packet requests and flooded the system. I don't know which download to cancel, and there's too many to cancel them all."

The distinct thud of something slamming into a tabletop jarred the earpiece. "Damnit!"

I winced at the noise, still reeling too much from the exchange to realize that beside me Sidney had risen to his feet and was striding toward the entrance to the city.

"Sidney?"

"We're going. Now."

"Aye." Drake nodded, swiftly falling into step right behind him.

Wheeling toward Glacia, I felt the breath catch in my throat. "Wattson's reinforcements aren't here yet," I hissed.

She hesitated, staring hard at the vanishing forms of Drake and Sidney. There had been a plan in place, and in one fateful moment, it was torn into tiny little pieces. Should we wait? Should we move? This was the critical moment where everything could fall apart.

The strained voice of Mr. Stone cut through any remaining doubt.

"Do it. Go."

We both sprung to our feet and were off like a shot, hot on our compatriots' heels.

My hand tightened around Victoria's pokeball. This was it. Preparation and back up be damned. We could do this. We _would_ do this.

I knew he couldn't hear me, but it didn't stop me from whispering beneath my breath. "Hang on, Steven. We're coming."

* * *

Drake and Sidney were already flanking New Mauville's cavernous entry portal by the time Glacia and I caught up. I silently gave thanks that Sidney had enough sense to not simply barge in guns blazing, or maybe Absol was the one to hold him back. Either way, the city's entry was far too bunker-like for my tastes as we pressed tightly to the cold concrete and peered down into the darkness.

"I can't see anything," hissed Sidney, knuckles white against the metal frame.

"I'd hate to go in completely blind, but any light is going to let the enemy know something is up," said Glacia.

"Maybe Absol can lead the way? Y'know, scout ahead in the dark and let us know what we're in for."

Drake nodded along, but his tone was low. "Aye, but the going might still be too slow. We're up against the clock here."

A frown began to crease deeper across my lips until our earpieces crackled to life, and Wattson's voice piped up.

"That's where I come in! Well, at least it's the best we can do in a pinch. Joseph's team is at the ready here, and they've set up some kind of security jamming thingamajig, so no one in that city is gonna see or hear a thing if we don't want 'em to. At least not over the cameras."

"Wait, seriously?" asked Sidney.

"Seriously," echoed Wattson, and I watched a wicked grin melt through Sidney's earlier worry.

"So as long as we see them before they see us, we're good?"

"It'll still be tough in the dark," I reminded Sidney, but I could see the wheels were already turning.

"Yeah, but if we can get the drop on 'em…" He drove a fist into his palm.

"And the city's comm system is jammed, too," added Wattson.

"Then there's no way to raise an alarm," Glacia finished.

Drake nodded. "I like those odds."

A pause settled over our group, and I caught the gaze of each of the Elite. We were in agreement.

"Then what are we waiting for?"

My frazzled nerves intended the question to be rhetorical, and mercifully it was left as such. We were flying by the seat of our pants. To be fair, though, these were the four best sets of legwear in the region.

Brandishing a pokeball from my pocket, I took a breath before peeling from the wall and plunging into the darkness.

* * *

The first barrier we encountered wasn't much of a barrier at all. Shrouded in New Mauville's gloom, the pathetic remnants of the city's main gate greeted us at the bottom of the ramp. Bent and drooping and barely hanging on by a thread, it was clear that little effort had been put toward keeping unwanted visitors out of the underground city. Which meant that either our enemy was ready and awaiting our arrival with an ambush, or we had caught them completely unguarded.

As the old adage goes, it was quiet; too quiet.

Cautiously, we pushed forward and opened the main gate with barely more than a stiff shove. Even if it had been locked, the mechanism offered little more resistance than tissue paper.

The nearly comical ease with which we were able to enter was in stark contrast to the sad mechanical creaking it made as it parted for us to enter. I tried not to shiver at how it seemed to have been scorched a similar black to a certain pokemon's hide…

"At the ready," Drake said, his voice a gravely quiet, yet still echoing through the eerie space. "We may not have company now, but I doubt it'll be that way for long."

Scanning the amber gloom of the room, it was indeed devoid of life. Not a soul stirred save for the four of us and Absol, whose hackles were mercifully still unraised. Glacia nodded in agreement. "So we keep moving, but where?"

Fortunately, the lack of a welcoming committee didn't impede my ability to hazard a guess. Rather, it helped it. No sense in searching a floor that was empty. I pointed at the stair that descended even further into the darkness.

"Down we go."

A slight bit more effort had been put toward making this entrance look less inviting compared to the main gate. Dirty barricades, scuffed and scraped, were set up across the stairway, though nothing beyond seemed to indicate why they were there.

Glacia's gloved finger tapped lightly against her cheek. "Seems rather obvious now that you mention it."

"A trap, then?" Drake asked, brow quirked.

Sidney shook his head. "Absol's not picking anything up, so either we're dealing with the world's best ninjas, or these bastards are hiding so far underground they think they'll never be found."

Glacia hummed a contemplative tone. "Perhaps that's why Metagross was able to escape. If the enemy gave chase, it would give away their location. It wouldn't be worth it if they'd put this much effort into remaining undetected."

"Still, best be on our guard."

I nodded at the former captain's sound logic. Maybe the supposed emptiness of the city is what lulled Steven into a false sense of security, and that's how the kidnappers gained the upper hand.

"We have to keep moving," I reminded everyone. "They may not be able to see us on the security system, but if they suspect something is afoot, nothing is stopping them from sending someone to look."

Silent nods were confirmation enough, and we grimly turned toward our impending descent.

Upon closer inspection, the stair truly didn't seem to be in the best repair, but as we ducked behind the barriers, it was painfully clear the damage was fresh, and not a product of decay. Something had come through here. Something large, and dangerous.

My stomach flipped as I brushed a hand against a set of rather distinct gouges, appearing awfully like they'd come from a pair of steel claws. "These… these were made by Metagross," I whispered.

Glacia's sharp gaze turned my way. "Then we're going in the right direction."

I swallowed thickly and descended further, every sense strained to the max.

_Steven, where are you?_

We proceeded wordlessly until Drake's hand shot up at the bottom of the stair, and we froze, silence hanging heavy as our footsteps ground to a halt. I almost jumped at how loud Sidney's voice sounded in comparison.

"C'mon, man. Wattson, a little help here? This place is massive."

"I'm sorry, Sid. The best I can offer is the route I gave Steven when he came down here. We don't know anything more specific than that…"

"But it's just as Metagross told Phoebe. 'Deeper into the city' must mean further down." I keyed my earpiece. "Wattson, how many levels does New Mauville have?"

"Well, from what I remember when construction halted, they'd dug out twelve of the fifteen that were planned."

Sidney swore. Loudly. "We gotta search twelve floors of this place? There's no way we'll get through that in time!"

"But!" chimed Wattson. "But they only got to finish about half of them. So that leaves six."

"And we already ruled the first floor out," said Glacia.

"Yeah but…Look at the size of this place. Five is still too many."

"Sounds like what we need is more information."

All eyes turned to Drake.

"I'm sayin' the bad guys aren't the only ones who can run a strongarm racket."

Glacia's expression dawned with understanding as she picked up where Drake left off. "This city's far too large to be a small operation. We find someone, and then we do just as Sidney suggested earlier."

"Wait, what'd I suggest?"

A cold smile grew across the ice-type Elite's lips. "We ask _nicely_."

* * *

Our path, however uncertain it had been up until now, was abundantly clear. We had a plan, and we had a way forward. My earlier trepidation at the incredible destruction left behind by Metagross's flight had turned into awe. Steven's pokemon had left us a veritable trail of breadcrumbs in the form of shattered walls and heavy blast doors neatly wrested from their tracks. It was clear some effort had been taken to erase the trail of destruction, but the scale of it was just too great. Following the mostly-unimpeded route with the utmost caution, we wound our way through the second subterranean floor in what felt like record time.

The chance that it would lead us directly to Steven was slim, but that's not what we were hoping for. If Metagross ran straight from the sight of the ambush, the trail was bound to lead us right into the heart of the enemy. Which is what we _were_ hoping for. Except maybe only one or two enemies, by themselves, completely unaware and unprepared, and armed with the intricate knowledge of the base and their hostage's whereabouts…

It was a lot to ask for, I knew. The odds of even just one of the hypotheticals happening was slim. But Sidney hadn't started cursing our luck yet, so I held my breath and continued to hope.

Not a minute later, my prayers were answered. Absol's fur stood on end, and it froze on the spot, claws sinking into the metal deck. Sidney spun on his heel at the head of our pack with a frantic swipe of his hand.

Company. Hide.

Thankfully we'd decided to travel with our pokemon recalled, and it was quick work for the four of us to duck into the shadows behind some metal wreckage. It took a concerted effort to try to keep my breathing to an inaudible level. Whether or not the thundering of my heartbeat could be heard was another story. As the muted plodding of our guest's boots drew near, I decided it was better to simply hold my breath.

I could hear it now; just one set of footsteps. This was our chance! I must have made a move toward Victoria's pokeball because I felt the cool touch of Glacia's hand against mine.

Drake's hand drifted up, palm out. Wait. Wait…

The steps slowed their approach, and I nearly choked when they stopped short of our cover. Was our trap blown? Were we discovered? Sidney was almost as antsy as I was, and I knew he was swearing up a storm internally. The air was tense until a soft sound made itself known. As the oddly familiar notes registered in my brain, the footsteps started up again, and I would have laughed aloud if I could have. They were humming a popular tune to themselves, totally cavalier. A Snorlax could have fallen from the sky and they wouldn't have noticed; they weren't paying the slightest attention.

Drake gave an exaggerated eye roll at the realization and signaled to Sidney that we were in the clear. The dark type Elite nodded and tensed where he had crouched. Absol did the same.

Closer, closer, until the toe of a red, rubbery boot poked out from around the corner, and Sidney lunged. The grunt barely had time to register they were being tackled, let alone cry out, before Sidney was on top of them, forearm to their throat and a hand across their mouth.

Pinned beneath Sidney's weight was a young man no older than twenty wearing the gaudiest all-red hooded jumpsuit combination I'd ever seen. Absol glowered down at him from over Sidney's shoulder, its massive paws holding the grunt's arms to the ground.

"I'm gonna ask you a question, and when I take my hand away you better answer it, or I'm gonna punch you so hard you're gonna wish you never put on that stupid hoodie this morning."

I wasn't a fan of the way the grunt's surprise quickly melted into a scowl. Either Sidney didn't notice, or he was too angry to pay closer attention. "What'd you do with Steven?"

The grunt's scowl deepened when Sidney lifted his hand. "Who?"

"Don't play dumb with me," Sidney spat. "I don't got all day, so spill it. Where is he, you terrorist thug."

Absol growled as the grunt's expression morphed into a glare.

"Insult Team Magma again and see where it gets you. Who are you anyway? Get off me."

I had barely mouthed 'Team Magma?' to myself before Sidney's fist swung back, only to be stopped by Drake's iron grip.

"Sidney, wait. It's possible they truly don't know." He glanced at the broom that had fallen from the young man's grasp in the scuffle. "Would the clean up crew realistically know anything about such a plan?"

"They gotta know what they're cleaning up _after_, though!" protested Sidney, sweeping a hand toward the remnants of Metagross's handiwork.

As much as I was inclined to agree, simply arguing with the grunt and ourselves was getting us nowhere. I started to voice just that when the grunt did my work for me.

"Like I'd help you even if I did know what the admins were doing down here."

It was Glacia's turn to scowl. Stepping past our uncooperative captive, she gestured to what looked like a storage closet behind our little group. "Search him for pokeballs and communication devices. Then throw him in there. This conversation is over."

The first bit of panic snuck into the young man's tone. "What?"

"Shut up," said Sidney, shoving harder back against the grunt's neck for good measure.

Drake's search was quick, but thorough, producing a pokeball and a two way radio from the grunt's pockets. Sidney hoisted the man up by his collar and sent the Magma grunt stumbling into the supply closet with a rough shove.

A flash to my right revealed the massive form of Glacia's Walrein, effectively blocking the grunt's escape.

"Seal it," she ordered, voice cold.

Walrein obeyed, and in an instant the doorway was closed off behind a wall of solid ice. Through the frost I watched the grunt's fist bounce harmlessly against the barrier, their mouth moving like they were shouting something, but it was too thick to hear what they were saying. I'm sure it was something pleasant.

"What now?" Sidney asked, running a hand along the side of his head, not even trying to hide the frustration in his tone.

I cast a sidelong glance at Drake and Glacia; this particular gamble had been a spectacular failure. The former was busy hiding the grunt's personal effects, but the latter fixed me with an icy stare.

"We try again."

* * *

Unable to offer a better idea, I acquiesced with Glacia's plan. We carried on for some time after our first encounter, but came up empty. Each passing minute we spent in the dark, deserted, and destroyed halls of New Mauville, the more my anxiousness took root. I wasn't entirely sure where we were, but it felt like we were perilously close to the end of Wattson's map, and we still had nothing to show for our efforts. I keyed my earpiece.

"Wattson, how much time is left before Magma has all the files?"

He harrumphed in reply. "Not much longer. Devon's men are doing everything they can to slow the download."

"There has to be _something_ we can do," hissed Sidney.

Some background conversation came through Wattson's channel. Then his voice piped up. "We can trigger the system take over now. Our team's ready. The baddies are definitely going to know something's up, though."

"Do we have any other choice?"

Silence held on our end as the four of us exchanged nervous looks.

"Download's nearly done," came Wattson's voice, gravely stiff, and I swallowed.

"We don't," I said, my palms suddenly grossly clammy. "We've spent too much time with nothing to show. We need to change tactics, and this might be our best shot."

Glacia consulted our map for a second before nodding. "We head for this central chamber, which by my estimation was the place of Steven's ambush. If we take back the city's systems, it'll be our turn to have the element of surprise."

"Okay," Wattson confirmed loud enough for the benefit of whoever was in the room with him. "Flipping the switch in three… two… one…"

I hadn't been aware of how much noise the underground city made until all of it ceased at once. The darkness held its breath for only a second before faint sounds of confusion and clamor echoed their way to us off the cold metal walls. A ghastly amber glow flickered on as the back up systems kicked in. And then the alarm sirens blared to life.

"Shit, we gotta move!"

On Sidney's cue, we broke into a sprint, leaping over debris in the murky light and ducking through ruined, wailing security doors as we headed deeper into the city.

Salamence's roar bellowed above the alarms, and I jerked my head in Drake's direction in surprise. The sea captain shrugged.

"No point in tryin' to be stealthy anymore."

He had a point, and I palmed Victoria's pokeball, though I didn't throw it. Perhaps a part of me wanted to believe we could manage this without a fight.

We burst from the narrow passageways via a gaping hole in the wall into a large, nearly empty chamber, and froze. I say nearly, because at the center of the room, three frantic grunts were fretting about a large computer console, completely oblivious to our entrance, while a fourth was jogging toward them looking just as harried.

Automatically, we ducked out of sight behind the wreckage of a large machine, and I cursed our luck. It seemed the plan had worked a bit too well. This computer looked important; important enough to warrant a lot of attention from Magma. If we didn't do something and fast, this room was going to be swamped with enemy troops.

"Wattson," I hissed, "can you do something about those alarms?"

"They do feel rather unnecessary at this point," said Glacia, alternating between watching the four grunts and the perimeter of the room in anticipation of more.

"Hang on…"

The dead air that followed Wattson's confirmation was an eternity. And then deafening silence, broken only by Wattson's question.

"How's that?"

Immediately, we saw results. The grunts stopped in their frenzied button mashing, exchanging relieved glances. Two of their group seemed satisfied with their progress and turned and left the group. Only then did I notice where they were headed; a bank of elevators at the far end of the room.

"Marvelous, Wattson," I said. "One more request, though."

"Hm?"

"Can you take control of the city's elevators?"

"I don't see why not."

"Brilliant!" As my excitement grew, so too did my companion's realization of my plan.

"We halved the number of enemies—" said Glacia

"—And made sure we won't be surprised by more," finished Drake.

Sidney's face split into a vicious grin Absol snarling in anticipation at his side. "I like those odds."

I watched the two grunts vanish into the elevator and the numbers tick down to the lower floors and slow to a stop. "Now, Wattson."

There was a pause, then… "Done and done!"

"We move, now!"

"I've got our back!" said Glacia, spinning to face the hole through which we'd entered.

The dark energy swirling about Absol blew toward the unsuspecting grunts on an invisible wind, and it vanished in a feint attack.

"Right behind you, lad!" shouted Drake, vaulting over the debris after Sidney, who was hot on his pokemon's heels.

A rush of wind surged against my back, and Salamence was airborne. The dragon's cry sent the grunts spinning in terror. No sooner were they able to recognize the angry blue and red blur than the grunt on the left slammed into the computer console with a sickening thud. Absol coalesced from its shadowy tackle, staring at the unconscious grunt crumpled against the dented metal.

I was a few steps behind Drake when the second grunt finally recovered from where he'd stumbled in his shock and pulled a pokeball from his pocket. I shouted in warning just as he drew back his arm and threw.

The Mightyena materialized already in a sprint, fangs bared. There was no time for Sidney to backpedal.

Salamence roared, paralyzed by the possibility of friendly fire at such proximity. Absol was still recovering from its own attack, and it yowled at its helplessness.

It was then that I remembered, Victoria's ball was still clenched in my hand as I ran. Pivoting, I launched her as far as I could throw and issued my command before she had even been released.

"Hydro pump!"

Mightyena leaped, Sidney paled, and Victoria trilled as her attack neatly picked the Mightyena clean out of the air and sent it tumbling all the way back to its trainer's feet.

The grunt barely had time to register what had happened before Salamence dropped from the sky.

Drake's dragon triumphantly pinned its target to the ground and placed one razor sharp claw over the grunt's throat. Drake stepped over the man's fallen Mightyena and squatted next to the grunt's head, his expression grim.

"Now lad, I won't ask twice. Where are you keeping the prisoner?"

"What's it to you, old man?" the grunt snapped back.

Team Magma clearly did not have many issues with loyalty from what we'd seen so far. At least the grunt hadn't shown any confusion about the question. Drake was in no mood to play games with this lowly henchman, and frankly, neither were the rest of us. He sighed and ignored the grunt's retort, opting to stand and address me instead. "What a shame. Wallace, prepare another shroud will you? We'll dispose of all the bodies later."

It only took me a moment to catch onto Drake's game. I glanced over at the grunt left slumped from Absol's attack and shrugged perhaps a bit too dramatically, "I'd hate to be the one stuck cleaning up all that mess. We've left an awful lot of destruction in our wake."

"Hey Drake, at least let Salamence eat this one. It's got to be hungry at this point," Sidney chimed in with a sneer. He was having way too much fun with this.

"W-what did you say?" The grunts eyes widened to the size of dinner plates. "Wait a minute! I don't want to be dragon food, that's not what I signed up for!"

Drake looked back down at the grunt that was now sporting several thick globs of dragon drool. I was impressed that Salamence wanted to be in on the act too, or maybe it actually _was _hungry.

"I told you I wouldn't ask again…"

"No, wait, please! I can tell you! The Admins took the prisoner down to the detention block, eighth floor behind the elevators, just, don't eat me please!" He squirmed beneath Salamence's heavy claws, his wide eyes fixated on the gleaming teeth of the dragon Pokemon.

"You heard the lad. It's not snack time just yet, Salazar." Drake turned his back on the grunt and began to walk toward the elevators. Salamence craned its head to watch his trainer leave, and once satisfied Drake was far enough away, it turned back to the grunt and ducked down so that the terrified man could feel the heat of its breath on his face.

"Wait, no! I told you what you wanted to know! He said no snacking! Augh!"

Salamence opened its jaws wide at the man's scream and messily licked the entirety of the grunt's face. Halfway through the motion, the squirming grunt fell still, having passed out from the sheer terror of staring into the dragon's gaping maw. Giving a rumbling snuffle of what I could only assume to be a laugh, Salamence lifted itself off the now unconscious grunt and lumbered after its trainer.

As Glacia, Sidney, and I fell in step behind Drake, Sidney tapped his earpiece.

"Wattson, did you get all that? Eighth floor behind the elevators, what does that mean?"

"Give me one second, my boy. We're looking up a plan of the eighth floor now."

Silence fell over the communication line as Wattson poured over the schematics with his team. After a minute, his voice popped back up in our ears.

"As far as I can tell, the only thing back there is a bunch of old maintenance passageways and the lower level elevator mechanical room."

"That doesn't sound like a place to stash a prisoner," Sidney muttered.

"Well, the mechanical room is actually a series of rooms, one of which is mostly empty now since the equipment they used to dig the shafts was removed."

"Then maybe that's a perfect place to keep someone hidden away," Glacia mused. "It's probably difficult enough to get to that it'd be easy to miss if anyone came looking."

As we stepped into the elevator, I felt the urge to make the executive decision. "Then that's where we'll look first."

Everyone nodded in agreement, so Sidney jabbed the button for the eighth subterranean floor, and Drake recalled Salamence to its pokeball before the elevator doors slid closed. Not another word was spoken as the cab began its descent down toward the lower levels of the city, all four of us on edge for what might be lying in wait below.


	8. Chapter 8 - Tabitha (4)

**AN: Happy birthday to me, DwtD chapter 8 is live. Thank you to everyone for your patience.**

* * *

[Chapter 8]

* * *

Leader Maxie and I watched over the shoulder of the techies in excited silence. The Devon files were being downloaded remotely to our server back at Magma HQ. Huddled together all staring at the same progress bar, I could feel the triumph practically radiating from the man at my side.

His plan had finally come to fruition, and Devon's hand had been twisted into delivering everything we had asked. Even with a heart as black as theirs, Devon was not foolhardy enough to try any funny business with the life of their heir riding on the data exchange.

From what I could see of the snippets of file names whizzing across the screen, it appeared as if the president had complied with our demands. It would take some time to properly go through all of the data; no doubt they would try to bury us with information to make finding what we wanted a more difficult task. No matter though. This wasn't our first extortion racket, just the most important one.

"How much longer until we've extracted all of the files?"

There was no danger of being traced due to the public way in which we had Devon share the files. An open source forum meant anyone could access the files and download them. By flooding the server with download requests, there would be no way for Devon to know which one belonged to our HQ server and which ones were decoys. My impatience stemmed from the nagging doubt in the back of my mind that recently my dumb luck had a habit of turning on me right when things seemed to be going well.

"In due time, Tabitha." Leader Maxie clearly didn't share my concern. "We appear to have caught Devon in another lie, and they had plenty of research on the seafloor cavern after all. Once the download is done, we'll issue the order to close up operations here for now. We can't have anyone discover our base in New Mauville before we awaken Groudon. With the files safe in our HQ mainframe, we'll collect the Stone boy and take our leave."

That caught me by surprise. "We're bringing him with us to Lilycove? Won't it be too difficult to move him while half the region is on high alert? There's no way Devon's boss didn't turn to the authorities."

"Fufufu, would you rather wait around here and risk being found out? You said it yourself, one of the Champion's pokemon escaped from the city. It's only a matter of time before our whereabouts are uncovered. If we leave now and properly seal off our operations, then we shall escape detection. It is much more advantageous to employ guerrilla tactics until all of the pieces are firmly in place. And surely you understand the value of keeping the Champion close by."

"I understand, Leader Maxie. That reminds me, I have the Champion's pokemon stashed in my office. I was planning on presenting them to you once we captured the rogue Metagross, but I completely forgot all about it until now."

"Do not worry, Tabitha. Five out of six of the Champion's team is nothing to scoff at. Be sure to collect their pokeballs once we're finished here. We will certainly want to bring them with us when we leave."

I nodded and turned back to face the screen once more, eyes glued to the progress bar slowly crawling toward completion. For just the smallest of moments, I thought I saw the screen flicker. I blinked and rubbed an eye, maybe I was seeing things. But there it was again, the screen gave the slightest of wavers, as if some sort of power surge came through and disrupted the monitor display. This time, I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"That's odd…" One of the techies mumbled as he tapped a couple of keystrokes in another window before leaning back and thumbing his chin in concentration.

At the curious gesture, Maxie raised an inquisitive brow.

"Oh, it's nothing, Leader Maxie. I thought I saw an interruption in the computer's processing, but the mainframe isn't showing any power fluctuations."

"And if it wasn't nothing?"

"Well, it shouldn't have any effect on the download, since it's being controlled remotely. Oh look, we're all set. The file transfer has finished!"

Leaning back from the screen, the techie beamed with pride for only a moment before the whole thing went black.

"What –!"

I only had enough time to see Leader Maxie jolt upright in surprise before the overhead lights clicked off and we were left in complete darkness. There was a loud clatter and a yelp as I'm assuming someone toppled out of their chair, and it was as if some sort of seal had been broken. The previously reserved lab burst into a cacophony of confusion. I froze in place, my hand habitually flying to the pokeballs nestled in my pocket.

"Leader Maxie?"

"Remain calm, Tabitha. I'm not sure what is going on, but panicking is not going to solve anything at present." I could hear a rustle of fabric and then Leader Maxie spoke aloud to the rest of the room, his voice loud against the din. "Report. Can anyone give me a report?"

And as if in answer to Maxie's request, the lights flickered back to life, and the excitement in the room quieted to a nervous buzz.

"I'm still looking for that report, gentlemen. Tell me, what was that just now?"

Furious shuffling of materials and clacking of keyboards sounded across the space before one wavering voice spoke up.

"L-leader Maxie, sir? We've lost access to the system."

Maxie's eyes narrowed. "Elaborate, please."

"Uh, I mean, we are currently unable to log in to any of New Mauville's computer systems. Someone has taken back control of the city."

"How?"

The tech geek shrugged nervously. "I'd imagine in much the same way that we hacked into the city's mainframe in the first place." The techie turned back to his machine and began to type again. After scanning a diagnostic window, he turned back to Leader Maxie. "It looks like the access terminal is originating from Mauville City. If I were to hazard a guess, I'd say the rightful owners have discovered our presence and thoroughly locked us out."

I couldn't hide my frown. "But how did they manage this without us realizing it?"

Without waiting for the techie's answer, Leader Maxie turned back to me. "There is no doubt this is a deliberate and calculated attack on our operations. Tabitha, we have underestimated the power of Devon's allies, so now we must act quickly. We have the files, there is no time to retrieve anything else.

"Issue the emergency evacuation order, all grunts are to grab what they can and make their way to the scramble secret hideouts. Then, get to your office and retrieve the Champion's pokeballs. I will take Courtney to the detention level to retrieve the prisoner and prepare him for transport to Magma HQ."

I blinked at the suddenness of Leader Maxie's orders. Before I could bring myself to move, a voice rang out from another computer station.

"Leader Maxie sir, I can't access any of the city's infrastructure controls, they're operating on their own. I-I can't even call the elevator to our floor!"

"What do you mean they're operating on their own? That's impossible."

"Sir, I didn't think it possible myself, but I've tried everything and I can't get the cars to move, we're trapped!"

Cooly, Leader Maxie reached up and readjusted his glasses.

"You realize it's only a trap if there is no longer a means of escape." Maxie's eyes narrowed as he reached into his overcoat and produced a handheld tablet. I could see a schematic plan being called up on screen. "A slight change of plans. We will use the emergency access tunnels to evacuate the city. Tabitha and I will head there first to unseal the hatches. You have fifteen minutes to completely destroy this command center. We cannot leave any trace that could be linked back to our HQ mainframe."

Whatever panic had settled over the room was quelled with Leader Maxie's calculated demeanor. Of course he had thought of everything. I'm sure it pained him to so coldly eliminate all of the effort that went into the creation of our New Mauville base, but he was the type of man to understand that in order to win a war you would inevitably suffer a devastating loss. We could rebuild New Mauville again provided we were able to evacuate in time.

"Tabitha, contact Courtney and have her lead the evacuation on her floor as well. I will send the schematics to the other section leaders on each level so that they may do the same."

"What about Stone?"

"The files are what we really came here for, that boy was just an added bonus. If Devon's allies were foolish enough to seal access to all of the floors, then he can remain here and rot in that cell. There are no access points from the eighth floor to the exterior of the city. They won't be able to reach him now."

"But Leader Maxie, there are still grunts down there standing guard, they're trapped too."

"They knew the risks associated with joining our organization. They will be honored in the record of those who served in this operation."

I swallowed thickly at the thought of leaving some of our own behind, but as usual, Leader Maxie was right; there was no time to come up with a way to save us all. Bringing my gaze up to meet the eyes of the man who would lead us to a new future, I snapped a salute.

"Yes sir, Leader Maxie."

The thin smile that formed across his lips was not lost on me as he turned to leave the lab. Even in defeat, I was still able to make our Leader proud. Determination renewed, I spun to address the room.

"All right you techno-nerds, let's tear this place down! Doubletime!"

As I watched cables being pulled and computer cases being smashed to the floor, I swear I could hear the techies' hearts breaking along with their hardware. With a sympathetic sigh, I turned my back on the scene and pulled out my PokeNav, thumbing through to Courtney's number. It only rang twice before she answered.

"Huh… Tabitha…?"

"Where are you?"

"I'm on the… third floor… but the elevator… is stuck."

"Court, we've got a situation. Devon's hacked back into the city mainframe and booted us out. Leader Maxie's pulling the plug, evacuation orders. Follow the map we've uploaded to your PokeNav and get everyone on your floor to the evacuation hatch. Designate which scramble bases your group will scatter to, and get out of the city."

"What…? Why would… I do something… like that?"

"There's no time to explain, just get yourself to an exit and get out of here. We'll meet back up at Magma HQ later."

"Hmm…"

I lowered my voice to a dangerous tone. "Court. If there was another option right now, you bet Leader Maxie would have thought of it. If Devon is preparing to go on the offensive, they'll hit the top floors first. I know what you're thinking and it's not worth the risk. Get out of there."

I could hear the pause as she was turning my words over in her mind.

"Okay Tabitha… I'll get everyone… out… See you… at HQ…"

I hoped my sigh of relief wasn't audible over the call. "Thanks, Court. See you on the surface. Tabitha out."

Tucking my Nav back in my pocket, I spun back to observe the state of the command center. I was greeted with the sight of empty desks and spinning chairs and a pile of computer equipment sitting at the center of the room. The techies had formed a loose rank off to the side, and as I pulled Camerupt's pokeball from my coat, I gave them a grim nod.

"Well done, troops. Move out and wait for my lead at the exit hatch."

They saluted and filed out, the light from Camerupt's ball reflecting off their retreating forms. I waited until the last one left the room. It would be cruel to make them watch.

"Melt it."

* * *

The scramble of activity in New Mauville's halls had lessened considerably by the time I rejoined the techies en route to the exit. Several more squads of grunts fell in with our group as we finished the sweep of the floor. I stood by the motto of no man left behind, but with access to the other levels effectively cut off, I had no choice but to keep my efforts focused here. If I couldn't hit every floor of the city, the least I could do was be thorough with the level I was on.

As we marched toward the exit, I silently lamented another loss at the hands of Devon's meddling. The Champion's pokeballs lay hidden, nestled in my desk drawer several levels below. Perhaps they would remain undiscovered, sealed within the depths of the city, just like the Champion himself. I set my jaw. Devon may have thought themselves the victor on this day, but New Mauville would not easily give up its secrets.

The passage leading to the emergency hatch was just ahead, untouched from when it was first installed. Crouching low, I pulled my multitool out and pried the door latch free. A rush of stale air greeted me as the door was unsealed. I peered into the gloom, my silhouette falling across the dusty floor, and I scowled. The point of no return.

I stepped to the side and waved the grunts forward. "Alright, everybody in. Pair up and head out. I'll be bringing up the rear."

Grunts shuffled past, some saluting, others simply ducking into the passage with vacant looks. Morale was low. It never felt good to be on the defensive, to have to run instead of fight. We played our cards well, but as Leader Maxie explained to me, there is no such thing as a gain without cost. I'd do my part to make sure that message made its way through our ranks.

Speaking of ranks… The corridor was nearly empty behind me, and I found myself staring back down its length. My hand twitched toward my pocket. She was only two floors up. She said she'd be fine.

"Admin Tabitha, sir?"

The grunt's question echoed from the exit hatch passage, and I turned a bit too quickly to answer. "What is it?"

"Are you coming, sir?"

I hesitated, my hand now firmly around my PokeNav at the bottom of my pocket. "Yeah, yeah," I waved with the other. "I'll be right behind you."

The grunt's shadowy hood bobbed with a nod, and I turned back to the empty hallway before me. I brought my PokeNav out. Communication between Admins was critical to the success of our operation, I told myself. Checking in on Courtney made perfect tactical sense.

Ducking into the exit passageway, I brought my PokeNav to my ear as I pulled the hatch shut behind me. I don't know what I expected at that point, standing the dark, but it wasn't what I heard. A single tone sounded long and shrill, and I froze; the signal that her PokeNav was offline. I checked my own Nav's display. Full signal. Which meant hers either ran out of charge, or she deliberately turned it off.

As I stood there in the dark, baffled, the realization struck far too late. In our last conversation, she said she'd get everyone out. She hadn't said anything about that including herself.

Cursing, I spun on my heel to make back for the underground city, but stopped short. What was I thinking? There was no way I could do anything of use by going back in there. Courtney was the one who disobeyed a direct order. There was no room for two admins to go rogue at such a critical time. My mind flickered back to the scene in the interrogation; the crazed look in her eyes. No, this was her decision and her decision alone.

My fist tightened around my PokeNav before I shoved it back into my coat pocket. With a deep breath, I turned and slipped through the exit hatch and out into the cool, nighttime air.

It was strange, the sensation of breathing outside air for the first time in months. The humidity was almost sickening. Or maybe that was the animosity churning in my stomach… Either way, now wasn't the time to dwell on it. I sharpened my gaze and addressed the grunts who were waiting on my command.

"All right, listen up. You've got your scatter base assignments. Make your way to the designated points, and stay vigilant. No risky moves while we wait for things to calm down. Reconvene back at Magma HQ at the appointed times. Fall out, grunts!"

I scowled again as I watched the grunts salute and break off into groups before melting silently into the darkness. Losing New Mauville so suddenly was a major blow, but it wasn't a crippling one. As long as the data was safely stored back at Magma HQ, we had time to rebuild our subterranean base before Leader Maxie's plans were put into action.

I ventured one final glance over my shoulder before making my way into the Mauville night. Team Magma may have faltered tonight, but we would not fail.

* * *

It didn't take long for me to meet up with Leader Maxie at our rendezvous point. His eyes narrowed when I walked in alone, and I already knew what his first question would be.

"Where's Courtney?"

I didn't bother hiding my frown. "Leader Maxie, sir, Courtney has made the decision to stay in New Mauville for what I can only assume to be a counter-offensive against any invading forces."

Calmly, Maxie interlocked his fingers behind his back. His voice was quiet as he spoke. "Did she now?"

"Well, uh, she never explicitly said that's what she was doing, sir," I backpedaled a bit. "I'm just guessing based on the fact that she never showed up outside the city as ordered." I chose to omit the part about her PokeNav being off. As upsetting as her insubordination was, I wasn't about to throw her to the Mightyena, she was still my fellow admin.

To my surprise, Leader Maxie simply nodded as he brought a hand to his chin in thought. "No, you're probably right, Tabitha. While I'm not happy that Courtney would disobey my orders, her loyalty has never come into question. I don't believe she would make such a decision lightly, and for that, I admire her devotion to our cause."

My gaze fell as I wondered for the umpteenth time what exactly went on inside that woman's head. I knew she was strong, but was she "take on a whole bunch of pissed off League trainers about to swarm an underground city" strong? Or maybe she really _was_… I wasn't left to ponder much longer, as the shrill sound of my PokeNav ringing interrupted the sombre mood.

I looked down at the number out of habit and nearly dropped the device. "It's… It's her."

Leader Maxie turned toward me with a quirked brow. A signal to take the call, but it damn well better be on speaker. I picked up, unable to hide the agitation in my voice.

"Court! Where are you?"

"Hi Tabi… Everything is… under control..."

I nearly sighed aloud in relief. "Geez. You had me worried, Court. Just get to the rendezvous point as soon as you can—"

A giggle on the other end of the line put a halt to the rest of what I was going to say. "I believe in you… Tabi. You'll be… more than enough… to protect Leader Maxie… on the way back to HQ. I have… unfinished business… to attend to…here..."

"Court…" my tone dropped dangerously low. "What are you talking about?"

"I'll stop them… from taking everything… Leader Maxie has worked… so hard to achieve..."

Behind me, I heard Leader Maxie draw in a sharp breath. She wasn't there for his speech in the techie's lab. She didn't know that the files had transferred, and that the Stone boy was expendable. I felt my frustration grow at myself for not relaying everything to her on that call. I had said I'd explain it to her later. What a costly mistake on my end. I'd make things right.

"Courtney, everything's going to be okay! We got the files and—"

"—And you're doing the right thing. Continue to defend the operations in New Mauville from Devon's threat. You're doing a great service to the name of Team Magma."

My jaw nearly hit the floor. Leader Maxie had just cut off my report, and now he was praising her for disobeying his orders? I stared, dumbfounded. She was taking matters into her own hands, now trapped, alone, in an underground city with no escape while the enemy was preparing to storm its walls— if they hadn't already. And he was alright with this? I floundered, trying to find the sense in it. Had he gone mad?

The line held silent for a moment, and when she spoke I heard an unmistakable waver of emotion in Courtney's tone when she spoke. "Leader Maxie… I will… make you proud..."

I looked back at my PokeNav in horror as the realization struck. She had planned this the second I hung up that call. She _wanted_ this. And I never saw it coming. I was at a loss for words.

I was still too stunned to reply, so Maxie made quick work of plucking the Nav from my weakened grip. He spun on his heel, all business as the edge returned to his voice.

"What is your current status?"

Courtney gave a thoughtful hum, and I could picture her rocking back and forth on her heels like she always did when she was pondering something. "Floor two… by the exit… They're already here… Devon's men…"

"You have to get outta there!" I blurted out, earning a curious look from our Leader. "They're gonna bring an army down on you, Court!"

"A-haha…" She laughed. Here I am thinking she's going to die down there, and she _laughed_. "They only… sent four trainers. At least… that's what… some of the grunts… reported…"

"F-four? That's it?" I nearly laughed myself. What incredible luck!

"Hm, so you have some of our troops with you, then?" asked Maxie.

I was still gathering my collective relief, and here he was, already moving on to tactics. I felt heat creep up my collar and into my cheeks. If I were to ever become a great leader like him, I still needed to learn how to curb my emotions. Lives were on the line, there was no room for error.

"Yes, Leader Maxie… Two platoons were still… inside the city. They all… wanted to stay. We're going to fight… for our future…"

"Very good, very good." Maxie paced a few steps, a hand tucked behind his back before stopping short. He drew up to his full height, the light of the PokeNav's screen reflecting ominously off his glasses. "I assume you know what needs to be done?"

"Aha…"

Courtney's laugh sent a chill down my spine.

"They won't… leave this city… alive…"


	9. Chapter 9 - Wallace (3)

**AN: Finally, the chapter I'm going to assume you all have been waiting for. And away. We. Go.**

* * *

[Chapter 9]

* * *

The elevator opened on the eighth floor to a dimly lit hallway. No enemies, no action. Just silence.

I released the death grip I had on Victoria's pokeball as we filtered into the small lobby and peered around. Our options were limited: left, right, or an opening behind us that led to an even smaller and darker hallway.

Sidney turned to the group with an unspoken question. I nodded in reply. It certainly fit the grunt's description. Without a word, he turned and led the way into the dark, and our group filed cautiously into the narrow passageway in single file behind him.

We hadn't been walking long when a feeling of dread began to wash over me. Could they really be keeping Steven down here somewhere? Did that grunt give us bad information to send us wandering through these dark winding passages right into a trap?

From the sound of Sidney's voice in front of me, he shared a similar thought. "Wattson, are you sure this is where that guy was talking about when he said behind the elevators?"

Wattson's reply crackled with static. "This is the only thing that shows up on the drawings, my boy. It's gotta be the right place."

"I don't like it one bit," Glacia said from behind me. A flash of light and the sound of a pokemon being summoned at the back of our ranks caught my attention.

"I brought out Shelgon to cover our rear in case of an ambush," said Drake.

"Good idea," came Sidney's reply, and Cacturne's hiss at the head of our party told me he was the partner Sidney chose to lead the way.

I produced a pokeball from my belt as well. "Elizabeth will be able to give us support should things turn ugly." The little Luvdisc materialized at my side and chirped a question my way when she saw where I had summoned her. "I'm not sure, just be ready for anything, darling."

Cacturne continued to lead us through the darkness, slowly but surely. We didn't encounter any surprises along the way, although tensions remained high. It appeared that these maintenance passages were neither regularly occupied nor guarded. Soon, our search party came to a halt, and I caught sight of a large metal door blocking the path ahead.

Sidney nodded, and Cacturne placed one hand on the door and pushed. The door groaned as it swung open from the pokemon's force, and I could see a faint light spill through the opening. I was close behind Sidney as he and his partner stepped into the room, but I stopped short as Sidney's arm shot out to block my path.

An unfamiliar voice issued a startled shout upon catching sight of the cactus pokemon, but was quickly silenced when Cacturne's arm drove the grunt heavily into the nearby wall where she slumped over, unconscious. As Sidney turned to observe his pokemon's handiwork, a second grunt took the chance to grab Sidney from behind in a surprise attack. Stunned, I watched as Sidney staggered back under the man's chokehold before managing to regain his footing. With a heave, he spun the pair of them around to present the grunt's unprotected back to Cacturne. One sucker punch later, the grunt relinquished his hold on Sidney and fell to the ground, also incapacitated.

Sidney glanced around the room once more before signaling to our group that the coast was clear. I breathed a sigh of relief, and stepped into the room with Glacia and Drake behind me. Shelgon remained in the passageway to guard our exit.

The room itself was sparsely decorated with a small table and one lone chair. The lighting was dim, especially compared to the light spilling in from the single window in the middle of the opposite wall. I squinted against the brightness and peered inside.

"Oh my god…"

All eyes turned toward me, but I couldn't wrench my gaze from what I saw through that window.

"Wallace, what is it?" Glacia's voice felt distant to my ears.

"It's him, it's Steven," I barely choked out, not daring to look away from my friend, as if my stare had the power to freeze time so that he wouldn't have to suffer for another second longer. "He's in there and, oh gods..."

"Sidney, get that door open now!"

"I'm trying! It's an electronic lock, no mechanism to pick."

When I heard the news from Mr. Stone that some organization had demanded a ransom of information for Steven's life, I knew he was being held against his will, but I had never imagined we would find him battered and bloodied and dangling from his wrists by a snarl of rope and chain.

I felt my hand fly to cover my mouth as I watched the sickening roll of his shoulders each time he took a breath. My stomach churned at the realization that his feet only limply scuffed the ground without offering any resistance to support his weight. Steven is a strong man, don't let his quietness tell you otherwise, but I had never seen my friend look so fragile. The mere sight of him through that window shattered whatever bravado I had left.

Drake's firm hand came to rest on my shoulder as he stepped to my side and peered into the cell.

"Aye, it's not a pretty sight, but you know as well as I do it would take more than that to break a Stone."

I didn't dare trust my voice right at the moment, so I only offered a nod in reply. Drake was always a bit rough around the edges, but when he spoke, it never failed to be exactly what one needed to hear at that moment.

Sidney's cursing jolted me back to reality.

"Dammit we'll just kick it down. There's no way it was designed to withstand a pokemon attack."

Cacturne's second blow did the mechanism in. As soon as the latch was destroyed, I stepped past the grass type and threw the door open at a full sprint with Elizabeth hot on my heels.

I heard Glacia's voice behind me, "Wallace, wait! We don't know what else might be in there. It could be a trap." But I highly doubted anything other than the earth opening up beneath my feet was going to stop me now.

At the sound of Glacia's warning, I saw Steven's head lift up, and his half lidded eyes found my own.

"Wallace?" His voice was barely a croak. Admittedly, the lump in my throat prevented mine from sounding much better.

"Steven! I'm here, we're all here." I arrived at his side and it took everything in my power to not fall to my knees from the shock of it all. My hands fluttered in agitation around his weary form, but after seeing his condition I dared not touch him. I froze for a moment before catching myself, and I fumbled at my waist for the small canteen I had brought. It rattled pathetically in my unsteady grip. "Here, drink."

He offered a weak nod, and I brought it to his lips. At my proximity, I could see the ugly bruises that marred his face. Where some water splashed and soaked into his shirt, smudges of purple and red peeked through the disheveled fabric of the formerly white fabric, giving a horrifying glimpse at the bruises that bloomed across his chest. His breathing was shallow and ragged, no doubt hindered by the position in which he was confined. Elizabeth could feel my worry and chirped nervously at my side. Her tittering caught Steven's attention, and he tilted his head toward the little Luvdisc and offered a weak smile.

"I'll be okay, Elizabeth."

Drake was right, he may have been battered, but Steven was anything but broken.

Elizabeth chirped once more and nuzzled gently up to Steven's cheek where she began to glow with a soft pink light. I watched as one of the more wicked bruises that stung his jaw began to fade from a ghastly purple to a mottled green, sure signs that her heal pulse had done some good. While not as potent when used on a human, even a slight amount of regenerative healing was more than helpful for Steven's condition. Unfortunately, that relief was only temporary, and he shuddered as a fresh wave of pain coursed through him. Panic rose in my throat once more.

"Glacia, freeze that chain so we can get him down. Quickly!"

"Wallace, please, we must not act too hastily, lest we injure him further." Glacia scowled as she turned her attention from me to the man in question. "Steven, can you stand? I want to make sure you won't collapse when we release the chain holding you up."

"Ah, not well," he breathed.

Glacia addressed me once again, but didn't take her eyes off of the restraint. "Wallace, get ready to support him when the chain is broken. Steven, I'm sorry, but this probably isn't going to feel very good."

He could only muster enough strength to nod in reply.

In a flash, Froslass materialized from her pokeball. "Ready, Wallace?"

I also nodded an affirmative and readied myself to catch my friend.

Without another word from her trainer, Glacia's Froslass floated silently up to level herself with the metal bindings. With one slender hand resting on the chain, the slight touch of the wispy ice type emanated sheer cold through the links. Frigid condensation spread from Froslass's grasp, and with one swift motion, she snapped the frost-weakened steel with a clench of her fist.

As the chain fell with an unceremonious clank to the floor, so too did Steven's hands, still bound with rope. I reached out in an effort to slow their descent, but a gasp still escaped from him at the sudden motion. Having been held in such a restrictive pose for god knows how long meant that any drastic shifts in position were met with heavy protest by Steven's weakened limbs. What little effort he could spare to support his freshly liberated frame did not last long, and I found myself having to wrap my arms around his chest to keep him from collapsing to the floor.

I can't say I'd ever held Steven in my arms before, but he was startlingly light. Even being as careful as I was, he still groaned in pain as I cradled his weight against my own. In an effort to ease his discomfort, I began to lower him gently to the ground. I stopped though, at the sound of his voice.

"Wallace, wait." His breath hitched as I halted my movements a bit too suddenly for his liking. "I doubt I'll have the ability to get up again, so please... help me stay upright for now."

Hearing his request, Sidney strode forward from his position at the door to help me prop Steven up. I moved to shift myself out from underneath his body with Sidney's aid, but it appeared to cause Steven even more discomfort, as he awkwardly clutched his hands to his chest with a grimace, unable to stifle a ragged gasp of fresh pain.

"Ah, wait, please. It's my ribs. I think they're broken. Just… just help me lean against the closest wall, and I should be fine."

Nothing I had seen thus far would lead me to believe that Steven was anywhere close to "fine" without proper medical attention, but we did as he asked, and each took hold of an arm and guided him gently to the nearest wall. He limped gingerly along with our help and upon reaching our destination, he slumped shoulder first against the wall, letting his head rest against the cool metal surface. Underneath his sweat matted hair, I could see something resembling relief flood across his features, and after a moment his erratic breathing slowed to a less worrisome pace.

I finally tore my gaze from my friend at Sidney's string of expletives. I knew that whatever rage that simmered just below the surface had finally boiled over at the sight of Steven's condition, and the dark-type Elite would be the first to drive his fist through the face of whoever had carried out such despicable deeds. Glacia was faring no better, her lips pressed into a thin line as her hands balled up fistfuls of her dress. She would be second in line. Only Drake appeared unmoved, but I knew better. The captain's posture was rigid as he stood by the doorway, arms crossed grimly over his chest.

None of us had known what to expect, and yet we were still left speechless at what we had found.

In the silence that followed, Steven attempted to straighten up to his full height. He managed the feat after several tries and turned his shoulders so that his back was now flat against the wall, finally facing our group as a whole. In that brief moment, the weary man that we had found chained to the ceiling was gone, vanquished by some untold reserve of sheer willpower. Burning with a fire that belied his haggard appearance, Steven Stone's gaze swept unwaveringly across the room. Standing before us once again was the man who claimed victory over the strongest trainers in Hoenn.

Relief flooded to smother what was left of the gnawing dread that had lived in my stomach ever since that fateful phone call as Steven's eyes met my own. Until the day I die, I will never forget the raw determination and sheer gratitude that shone in my friend's eyes.

He spoke slowly, breaking the eerie quiet that had settled in the room. "I'm not entirely sure how you managed to find me down here, but I am eternally grateful that you did. I'm terribly sorry to have dragged you all into this mess."

Drake stepped forward. "Think nothing of it, my boy. When one of our own is in trouble, we couldn't sit idly by. Besides, I know for a fact you'd do the same for any of us. Now let me see those hands, we couldn't call this a proper rescue if we left you all tied up."

Gratefully, Steven offered his wrists to the surly sea captain who slipped a small blade from a pouch on his belt. As he began to cut through the rope, I finally noticed just how much damage the bindings had done. The skin around the rope was raw and darkened with blood, and as Drake cut through the last cord, several lengths refused to fall away because they had dug so deeply into his flesh. I winced as Drake had to peel the remains of the rope away, causing several of the wounds to open anew.

Amazingly, Steven hardly flinched during the whole ordeal, although I could see his strength was beginning to wane as Drake dressed each wound in a strip of cloth from his belt pouch.

Once he finished bandaging Steven's mangled wrists, Drake spoke up again. "No sense in sticking around these parts any longer. We need to get you to a hospital, lad."

I could see the color drain from Steven's face as his efforts to move from the wall came up short. One hand flew to clutch at his injured ribs while the other pressed against the wall to steady himself, his breath coming in shallow gasps. Elizabeth once more flitted to his side and issued a heal pulse, which Steven gratefully accepted. With one hand gently wrapped around the Luvdisc's side, he caught Drake's stern expression at his reliance on my pokemon's healing powers and grimaced.

I heard Sidney's voice behind me, the quiver of rage not completely erased from his tone. "The passage back to the elevators is too narrow for any of us to carry him. Steven, you're going to have to make it at least that far on your own power."

Steven's tired gaze swept past my shoulder to the dark type Elite. "How far to the elevators? I don't remember much from when they brought me here."

"I dunno, how long would you say, Glacia? I was too focused on watching out for enemy activity." Sidney looked to the ice specialist for help.

"We were moving slowly on the way in, so I'd say no more than a six minute walk back provided we don't get lost."

"Well we've got Wattson to guide us, so I doubt we'll have trouble," I offered as reassurance. "So do you think you can make it, Steven?"

When I turned back to the man in question, I found his jaw set in determination and a hardened gaze locked onto the exit of the room in which he'd been imprisoned for the last few days. "It seems as though there's no other option, so the answer is yes. Although," he turned his attention to the twittering pink pokemon at his side and smiled softly, "I'm going to have to ask for your assistance once again, Elizabeth."

Satisfied with Steven's answer, Sidney nodded. "Let's get moving then." He looked toward his partner still keeping watch at the cell door. "Cacturne, lead the way." Silently the pokemon turned and disappeared into the observation room to join Shelgon where it waited dutifully at the mouth of the exit passage.

Glacia turned and filed from the cell in Sidney's wake, while Drake hung by the door to bring up the rear of our party. I dared not leave Steven's side, lest he collapse along the way. Part of me was glad I had done so, as his first step nearly sent him stumbling to the floor. Elizabeth squeaked in alarm as I caught Steven by one arm, and Drake hurried forward to grasp the other.

The choked sound that escaped Steven's lips sent a dagger through my heart, and I nearly had to look away when I noticed how his eyes squeezed shut in pain. The arm I had a hold of tried to reach down toward his leg, but I was too panicked to let him out from my grasp.

He tried to recover with another shuffling step, and this time a gasp slipped out. Elizabeth darted forward and shared another heal pulse, and I could feel Steven sag against my hold in relief.

The tenuous dance of inching forward and issuing healing continued until we reached the exit of the cell, allowing Steven to latch onto the nearest wall for support. He was hunched over from the effort, but as I began to reach out to offer my help once more, the look in his eyes gave me pause. The stare he had fixed on the passageway exit could have made a Gyarados cower in its tracks.

Slowly, agonizingly, Steven dragged himself upright, and using the wall as a brace, took a step. His jaw clenched and Elizabeth squeaked, hovering close to his side, but his gaze never faltered. The four of us watched as one step became two, and two became three, and Steven finally broke his laser focus and looked my way.

"Let's go."

If I wasn't still recovering from the shock of it all, I would have broken into a grin. Instead, I nodded, and with Sidney leading the way, we stepped over the still incapacitated grunts in the observation room and ducked into the passage beyond.

* * *

By the time we emerged from the narrow passages, a sheen of sweat had formed on Steven's brow, and he was quick to lean heavily on the wall adjacent to the elevator doors. Elizabeth was looking worse for wear as well, having been so attentive in delivering heal pulses to ease his discomfort. After finding relief in the sturdiness of that particular wall, he gently released Elizabeth from where she had nestled against him and thanked her with soft praise.

I returned my pokemon to her ball, offering my own thanks for all her efforts.

When I looked toward my friend once again, I saw his brow furrowed in concentration. Taking a moment to slow his labored breaths, Steven turned his eyes to mine, and for the first time in a long time, I saw fear flit across his expression.

"What about my team? They took my pokeballs when I was captured. Have you found them?"

Glacia shook her head. "We came straight for you, Steven. There was no time to search for them on the way."

I could see Steven's face fall at her response. Before I could offer anything encouraging, a voice crackled to life in my earpiece. I had forgotten about Wattson.

"Tell Steven that if his pokemon are still within the city, my crew will find them. We're gonna sweep every nook and cranny of this place to get rid of every last bit of scum, so we'll definitely find his missing team. It's a promise."

I nodded even though I knew Wattson couldn't see me, and I relayed the message. "Wattson is on the case. He's going to search the city level by level. He'll definitely find them." The statement felt hollow though. We had no way of knowing if Steven's pokeballs were even still within the city's walls. I hoped Steven couldn't sense the uncertainty in my voice, but from the tone of his next question, it felt like he knew.

"Metagross..." Steven's voice was even weaker now. "Have you seen Metagross?"

Finally I was able to deliver good news. "Steven, Metagross is the one who told us where you were. It made it all the way to Ever Grande to get help. It's resting now at the League."

This time I could clearly see the relief written in his expression. He exhaled a shaky breath I didn't realize he'd been holding. "I thought I had lost it in the ambush."

I saw Sidney stiffen at the confirmation that there had been foul play involved, but my eyes were glued to Steven as he paused, a rare crack showing in his composure. It took him a moment to collect himself, and even when he found his voice, it was heavy with emotion. "You have no idea how glad I am to hear that news."

My smile was genuine in spite of everything. "As were we." I decided now was not the time to elaborate on the condition in which Metagross arrived in Ever Grande. "Without its help, I'm not sure we would have been able to find you."

A wistful look swept over Steven's face. "Then I owe my life to Metagross once again."

"You can thank it in person later once we get to the surface," growled Sidney. "We gotta keep moving. We shouldn't stay down here any longer than necessary. The enemy might have scattered when we charged in here, but my money's on them regrouping for a counter-attack at any time. We still need to make it back to the surface, and from what I know, there's eight floors of enemy-infested city that we gotta go through."

Drake nodded in agreement. "Wattson's initial takeover of the central computer caused enough chaos for us to get down here, but by now there's been plenty of time for them to reorganize."

Right on cue, the elevator dinged its arrival, mercifully empty, and the four of us filed into the cab behind Steven. Instinctively, we formed a protective semi-circle in front of him, ready to act when the doors opened at our destination.

As the doors slid shut, Glacia chimed in with a question for Wattson. "This elevator won't take us all the way to the surface, correct? It'll just get us back to the main terminal room?"

"Right, this maintenance elevator will only take you up to the second floor. From there you'll have to go back out the way you came in."

"Looks like we're taking the stairs then," quipped Sidney, and Steven's face paled even further. His voice was even more withdrawn when he spoke.

"I… I remember how far that trek is, and I'm afraid I lack the strength needed to make it all the way to the exit."

"Don't fret, lad. We'll be in open space on the second floor. Salazar will be able to give you a ride from here on out."

"Drake, I don't have much feeling in my hands right now." I followed Steven's tenuous gaze to where the offending appendages were curled against his midsection, and with a pang I realized that this entire time I hadn't seen him flex his fingers even once. Steven swallowed thickly. "I'm not sure I could hang on to a Salamence in this condition."

"Then I'll ride with you. We haven't come this far to give up that easily."

With that, Steven nodded. I could tell he still wasn't sold on the idea of clinging to the back of Drake's dragon, but the urgency of our escape meant there wasn't time to come up with a better plan.

The elevator chimed its arrival on the second floor and four flashes of light burst through the doors before they had fully opened. Salamence announced its appearance with a fierce roar, intent on scaring away any opponents who may have been lying in wait. Fortunately, its roar echoed through a vacant chamber, and the accompanying team of Absol, Walrein, and my Milotic lowered their guard.

"Looks like your welcoming party is nowhere to be found," quipped Glacia with a short glance in Sidney's direction as we exited the cab.

"Tch."

"Now's not the time to let our guard down. We've still got plenty of ground to cover before we're out," I reminded my fellow trainers.

"Wallace is right," came Drake's response as he moved toward Salamence while supporting a shaky looking Steven against his shoulder. "There's no reason to think we're out of danger until we're back to the surface. I doubt whoever is behind all of this would simply let us waltz out of here without a fight."

"They just might, though." Steven's voice was stiff. "If my father gave in to their ransom demands, they may already have everything they wanted— " His breath hitched, eliciting a cough which would have brought him to his knees if it weren't for Drake's arm around his shoulders.

My hand flew to Elizabeth's ball at my hip, but Steven waved a dismissive hand as he straightened, breathing heavily. "I'll be fine, Wallace. We should get moving. I've slowed us down enough already."

Ignoring Steven's comment, Drake turned and helped to boost him onto Salazar's back. With some difficulty, Steven eventually situated himself at the base of the dragon's neck, and Drake seated himself behind as a safety measure in case Steven's grip failed as he feared it might.

"Let's go, Salazar," he barked, and with a flash of its red wings, Drake's partner lifted off the ground and began soaring towards the back of the chamber. The rest of our group followed behind and made our way to the exit.

* * *

It wasn't long before the passageways became too small for Salamence to continue to fly, so it ambled along as gently as it could. Even with the slightly bumpy ride, I could see that Steven was grateful he did not have to make the trip under his own power.

We continued on in silence, fanned out in a defensive formation on high alert. Wild pokemon scurried about in the shadows, but none dared to approach. Absol and Victoria worked to clear the debris from our path to make the trek easier for the grounded Salamence.

"What happened here?" came Steven's voice, nearly a whisper. I couldn't be sure if he was honoring the silence, or that was all the strength he could muster. He was staring, wide-eyed at the crumpled remnants of what probably had been a steel-plated door. "Did you have to battle your way into the city?"

Glacia shook her head. "It was like this when we arrived. We simply followed it hoping the path might lead us to you."

Steven frowned, eyes downcast like he was trying to remember something, but he didn't comment any further.

"Yeah, it was all busted up at the city gate, too. We hardly ran into any of those Magma goons on the way in," said Sidney. "Kinda weird if you ask me—"

"Magma…?" Steven's head snapped up. "So you know… Wait, how much do you know? About them?"

That was not the reaction I was expecting from Steven. Oblivious, Sidney began to answer, but Steven was hardly paying attention, his gaze now worryingly distant.

"Yeah, I mean we had to flush 'em out to even find anything out about where they were holdin' you. But eventually we got one of 'em to talk. About time, too because—"

My heart skipped a beat as I watched the color drain from Steven's face.

"How could I have forgotten…"

If I hadn't already been staring at him, I might not have heard it for how quiet it was. It wasn't quiet for long, though, as the stress in his voice built with each second. He seemed to be tripping over his words, thoughts tumbling out faster than he could parse them.

"I have to warn you… What they're planning… If they have that information..."

My own panic began to rise as Steven's eyes squeezed shut and he curled in on himself, as if just trying to formulate the words was causing him pain. Drake placed a steadying hand on Steven's shoulder. "Deep breaths, lad."

"Steven. Steven, we know," I said loud enough that I hoped it would grab his attention through the panic. "Well, not everything. But enough. Enough that Phoebe is at Mt. Pyre right now, protecting the orbs."

Sure enough, it worked. Shoulders still shaking beneath Drake's hand, Steven turned to find my gaze. I hoped it was as confident as my words. From his expression, it must have been, though I could see the unspoken questions written across his face. At this point with his near-hyperventilation under control, I chalked it up as a victory. Besides, right now the last thing he needed to focus on was something other than breathing in and out.

"Look, I'll explain it in full later. Right now, all you need to know is she won't let them get to the legendary beasts even if they have Devon's research."

For a second, it looked as if he was going to protest —goodness knows the only thing a Stone hated more than missing out on a rare fossil dig was not knowing everything there was to know about a particular topic— but he didn't get the chance. Turns out we'd made great progress on our second time through the debris.

"Hey, I think I recognize this bit," came Sidney's voice from the head of our group. "The main stair should be just through this door… Whoa!"

His shout of surprise caught me off guard, and out of instinct I ducked just in time. A sizzling flame burst flew overhead, exploding as it slammed into the bulkhead above us. I could feel the heat on my face as Sidney dove for cover behind the door frame with a few choice words.

"What was that!?" Glacia shouted from the back of our formation.

"Our official welcoming committee," growled Drake as he dismounted from Salamence and stepped forward to join Sidney in flanking the aforementioned door. With a wave, he gestured for us to keep to the sides of the passageway out of the line of fire.

Absol slunk up next to Sidney's side, hackles raised, and he rested a hand against its wicked horn with a grimace. "So they aren't going to let us waltz out of here without a fight after all." He keyed his earpiece. "Wattson, can you get eyes on the second floor main chamber? We're pinned down, and after that first shot I'd rather not poke my head out if I can help it."

"You got it, Sid! We got the cameras working. Give me one second..."

We waited with bated breath for Wattson's report. It was more than a second, but I'm not sure anyone other than me actually counted. Anything to keep the heart rate under control. Fifteen, sixteen...

"Hrmm, it won't be easy… Looks like they've got twenty or so trainers lined up between you and the stair outta here. There's one girlie that looks to be in charge at the head of it all, too. She's got a nasty looking Camerupt trained on your position."

After Wattson's voice crackled back into silence, Glacia smoothly brushed past me before arriving at Sidney's side near the door, placing a hand on his pokeball.

"Leave that Camerupt to me."

I opened my mouth to protest, but Glacia cut me off. "Walrein's thick fat will be more than enough to withstand those fire attacks if that's what you're worried about, Wallace."

Knowing full well Glacia's strength lay in her battle tactics, I implored her to continue. "What's the plan then?"

Glacia smiled. "I thought you'd never ask. First, we need to get out of this bottleneck. Wallace, have Victoria use mist to hide our movements from view. From there, you and Sidney will head to opposite flanks and launch ranged attacks into their ranks. Cause commotion, get them to break formation. Drake, you'll help clear a path up the middle for me; I'm heading right for their leader's position. If we take her down, the grunts will scatter. Once that Camerupt is out of commission, I'll keep the exit clear for our escape."

"Is there anything I can do?"

All eyes turned to Steven, and Drake chuckled.

"Yer gonna keep your head down and leave the battling to us this time. Use the mist for cover and get as high above the battlefield as you can. Salazar will get you to the exit when it's all clear."

Sidney was about to speak up, but he changed his mind as another flame burst exploded to the left of the open doorway. "Sounds good to me. Kick her ass, Glacia."

She nodded before turning to me. "Wallace, you're up."

Cupping my hand against Victoria's cheek, I pressed my forehead to her scales. "Let's give them a show for the ages, my darling."

The look on my Milotic's face was all business as she drew herself up at my side, and it only took a moment before the mist hung heavy around our ankles.

Turning to my fellow Elites, I found them staring back, their own pokeballs out and primed for battle. With one last nod of confirmation, I readied myself and gave Victoria a gentle touch.

"Okay, love. Do it."

In an instant, the passageway was swallowed in a cloud of mist. At my side, I felt Sidney tense, his hand burrowing into the fur at Absol's neck, waiting just a moment for the cloud to spread enough to cover our flank. Then, we were off like a shot.

I was hot on Sidney's heels as we tore into the mist, quickly swerving in opposite directions. My heart was in my throat as I ran, hugging the chamber wall. Next to me, Victoria slithered to keep pace, her sharp eyes trained through the mist toward our enemies.

Suddenly, the mist was split by a blue blur and a fearsome roar. Salamence rocketed overhead and I could hear the shout of the enemy trainers rise in alarm. But it was not the time to gawk at the powerful dragon; Victoria and I had a job to do.

Just as we heard the sound of pokemon attacks beginning to charge, we launched our own attack into the enemy's midst. Shouts of surprise and pain cut through the air in time with the rushing water of Victoria's hydro pump. Another explosion sounded from the far side of the chamber, and I knew Sidney had begun his assault as well.

With the air alight with attacks, the mist was beginning to spread thin, and we had to keep pressing to keep the enemy disorganized and disoriented. Victoria and I gave it our all, parting the sea of red-clad trainers, sweeping them under with waves of water type attacks all while dodging flamethrowers and dark pulses that whizzed by overhead. Through the chaos, a plume of lava erupted at the center of the chamber, only for it to freeze solid inside a column of ice, and I allowed myself a momentary grin. Glacia had found her target.

"Keep pushing!"

Drake's voice cut through the chaos as a clump of enemy trainers were tossed airborne, no doubt from Shelgon's headbutt.

With all of our forces handling their respective duties, I spared a momentary glance skyward in an effort to check in on Steven. Immediately I was greeted by a stream of green dragonfire, and for the first time in what felt like forever, I let a genuine smile slip through. Of course Steven wouldn't be able to stay on the sidelines like he'd been told, the stubborn fool.

Salamence was savvy, and Steven was a damned good trainer; deep down I knew he never was going to listen in the first place. With that affirmation, the wave of unending worry for my friend faded to the background, and I threw myself back into the battle.

Turning our backs to the edge of the room, Victoria and I moved on to the second phase of our attack plan. We worked to cut a path back to the center of the battlefield to rejoin with Drake. The sea of Magma trainers parted with ease under Victoria's sweeping attacks, and it wasn't long before I was standing back to back with the elder Elite.

"Wallace!" Drake called, directing Shelgon's next charge through an unsuspecting Numel. "Great work! Where's Sidney?"

I scanned the battlefield for any sign of our colleague, but before I could reply that I didn't know, the trainer in question burst through the enemy ranks with Absol hot on his heels.

"We're here, Drake!" The younger man was out of breath, and I swear there was blood on his knuckles, but he looked no worse for wear as he wore a toothy snarl. "Ready to finish this fight?"

Drake's cap tipped once in confirmation. "Aye, let's do it."

By now, the remaining Magma troops had regrouped and encircled us on all sides. Their ranks had thinned considerably, but we were still outnumbered. Standing back to back, the three of us waited, pausing just long enough to gauge which direction we had to head…

An explosion of heat and frost burst over my left shoulder, and in unison, we launched into motion.

"Now!"

The combined force of our pokemon's attacks radiated outward, flattening the first row of grunts and sending the next few staggering. It was at that moment that Shelgon lunged, cutting a path straight toward where Glacia was locked in her own battle. Absol and Victoria swept their attacks left and right, scattering the circle into fragments, and the three of us turned to follow in Shelgon's wake.

From my position at the edge of the fray, I could see Drake's Salamence swooping across the field aiming its dragon breath to and fro with Steven calling out new targets in an almost non-stop barrage. But my amazement at Steven's battle prowess quickly turned to dread. As Salazar banked into another turn, Steven wobbled unsteadily, and his grip around Salamence's neck fell slack. My heart leaped into my throat as he slumped to the side, nearly tilting off the dragon's back.

Frantically, I shouted to Drake across the battle, but the grizzled veteran already had spotted the same thing I had noticed; that Steven finally had reached his limit.

"Salazar!" His booming call echoed across the chamber as he broke into a sprint to intercept Salamence's flight path.

At the sound of its name, Salamence was snapped from its battle frenzy and banked sharply toward Drake's location.

I gasped at the abrupt maneuver, but my worry was short lived. Salamence must have realized his passenger was no longer aware of his own faculties and altered his trajectory to keep Steven balanced on his back.

As Salamence swooped low, Shelgon turned and lowered its head. With a raging battle cry, it plowed a runway back through the unsuspecting Magma grunts that were in hot pursuit behind us. Coming to a halt from its skull bash, Shelgon reared its head as Salamence drew near on its final approach. Using the path his partner had cleared, Drake deftly stepped forward to face the incoming dragon and its hapless Champion cargo.

In one easy motion, Drake lifted himself astride his trusted pokemon with one hand and deftly caught Steven around the waist with the other. With one pump of his wings, Salazar lifted the pair of trainers above the battlefield and out of harm's way.

Shelgon gave another roar and plowed its way back toward us through the grunts who had only just managed to get back to their feet. It came to a stop at my side just as I turned back around to see Victoria's hydro pump clear out the few remaining grunts who were still standing.

"The exit!" shouted Sidney, pointing past the end of Victoria's attack.

Beyond his outstretched arm I could see we'd managed to push our way across the chamber all the way to the foot of the stairs. There, true to her word, stood Glacia and Walrein, locked in combat with the Magma leader, though not for much longer it seemed.

Salamence's shadow fell over the carnage left in Glacia's wake, and even with the dire circumstances, I couldn't help but gape. A Mightyena and a Breloom lay scattered as if they were nothing more than ragdolls, frost sparkling wickedly on their fallen forms. But the most incredible thing was the Camerupt. I didn't even know it was possible to freeze a fire type solid.

We broke into a sprint and reached the stairs just as a vicious ice shard shredded through the last of a Golbat's defenses, sending it plummeting to the ground out cold. Its screeches faded as it fainted, but another cry sounded from behind it, and it was then that I realized the Golbat was not Glacia's intended target.

The Magma admin was pinned to the wall by her hood and coat, and if the blood droplets on the ground were any indication, those were not the only things Glacia had skewered through. With a triumphant bark, Walrein bounded in his trainer's wake as she stalked toward the trapped Magma admin.

There was no time to continue to admire Glacia's handiwork, though, as I could hear several shouts from behind us. I had to give it to these Magma goons; they were nothing if not persistent.

"Glacia!" Sidney shouted. "We gotta move!"

She didn't break eye contact with the captured admin. "I'm nearly finished here, Sidney."

"No, we gotta go, now."

The look Glacia shot Sidney's way could have frozen the sun.

"It's Steven," I croaked, my voice deciding to betray me behind the sudden lump in my throat.

It must have been enough though, because the battle frenzy faded from Glacia's eyes. She relented a step, smoothing her dress and tucking several loose strands of hair back into place.

"We should go," I repeated.

This time Glacia nodded. She'd calmed a bit, but her face was still pinched with concern.

"What about her? And the rest of these thugs?"

Wattson's voice crackled to life over the din, "Leave them to me! I'm moving in with the cavalry as soon as you guys are clear of the city with Steven. So get a move on!"

"You heard him!" Drake's reply came through our earpieces. "I've got the lad, get yourselves to the exit!"

With one more deadly look over her shoulder, Glacia recalled Walrein to its ball, and Sidney and I fell into stride with her as we turned and ran, leaving the second floor behind.

Our footsteps echoed eerily off the metal walls as we climbed the last flight stairs. My legs ached as we ran, but I banished the thought. The only thing that mattered right now was reaching the surface. The sound of our collective breathing told me the rest of our party was equally as focused, until Sidney broke the silence.

"The exit is just up ahead! I can see daylight!"

I finally looked up from my churning feet in time to see Salamence's shadow soar up the ramp to the city exit. My heart surged as we made the final push through the melted city gates. By the gods, we'd made it.

The three of us burst from the shadows of the underground city, lungs burning from the climb. Waiting for us was Wattson. True to his word, he was standing at the ready with a squad of ace trainers lined up behind him.

"We're all clear!" called Sidney, hand on his hip nursing a stitch. "They're still down there though. Magma. Watch yourselves."

Wattson grinned. "Don't you worry 'bout us. We're rarin' to go." He turned to the waiting trainers. "Now, let's go round up some criminal scum! No one gets a free pass in my city, wahahaha!"

As the trainers flooded past, heading in the direction we had just come from, Wattson paused at our little trio and clapped a hand on my back. "You pulled it off. You've done the Gym Leaders proud."

But I wasn't ready for congratulations. I straightened from where I'd been catching my breath and scanned the area over Wattson's shoulder until I spotted the blue and red of Salazar's scales.

Unwilling to meet his beaming face, I could only mutter, "I'm sorry Wattson, but I can't call it a success yet. Excuse me." I brushed past the jolly Gym Leader, and from the corner of my eye I saw Sidney and Glacia offer a nod of thanks to him as well before following.

The mood was solemn when I reached Drake's side. He was kneeling beside Salazar, cradling the still form of Steven Stone in his arms.

I felt my throat tighten, but Drake spoke up first.

"He's breathing, but I can't wake him."

I could only nod in response. Glacia spoke up from my side, voice tight.

"He needs to get to a hospital. Given his condition when we found him, I'm concerned he's too pale to not be losing blood somewhere."

As if in response to Glacia's assessment, the rush of twin propellers coming to life roared in our ears. Our collective gazes shot up toward the source of the noise, and we were greeted by the sight of two technicians wheeling a stretcher from the rear of a Devon helicopter.

Sidney flagged the two techs to our position just as our earpieces crackled to life with a familiar voice.

"This is President Stone. I just received word that you've returned to the surface with Steven. I cannot thank you enough for what you have done today."

It was awe-inspiring how level Steven's father was able to keep his tone. I knew from our conversations earlier in the day how harrowing the last several hours had to have been. I had to do my best to make sure my emotions were just as much in check, so I took a steadying breath before answering.

"You can thank us when the criminals have been apprehended. As it stands now, Steven may not be out of the woods yet."

There was a tremor in the President's voice as he spoke again. "I feared as much. The private medical transport you see is ready to fly to Rustboro where the hospital staff is awaiting its arrival."

I tried to formulate a response, but as I watched Drake assist in placing Steven's limp body onto the stretcher, words failed me. Glacia for all her infinite grace stepped up where I had faltered.

"I can only imagine how difficult this is for you, Mr. Stone, but you'll have to place your faith in us at least until Steven arrives in Rustboro. I'm no medical professional, but I believe with swift and proper care, your son should be fine. I may not be from this region, but as I have learned here in Hoenn, we are all family. There is nothing we wouldn't do to protect our own."

In closing, she turned to face me with a tight smile, and I mouthed a silent thank you in return.

"Thank you, Glacia. I appreciate the reassurance. There is no one I would rather trust in this situation than this particular group. I owe you all a great debt of gratitude."

As Mr. Stone spoke, both Glacia and I grimly watched the two techs circle the gurney in an initial triage with Drake and Sidney's help. A blanket was quickly pulled up and oxygen administered, and in the faint dawn light, it was unsettling just how little difference there was between the white of the sheet and the pallid hue of Steven's skin.

I'm sure the color drained from my own face upon spotting a dark red smear along the side of the gurney where Steven had been lifted on top. I refused to acknowledge the matching stains on Drake's coat where he had held Steven against him moments earlier.

Straps were buckled, and as the technicians turned to wheel Steven towards the waiting transport, I hoped— prayed— for a flutter of eyelids, the twitch of a hand, a groan, anything that might reassure me that things were going to be okay…

"I'll go with you," I couldn't help but blurt out suddenly. As all eyes turned to me, I quickly tried to regain my composure. "I'm sure Mr. Stone will want to be immediately briefed on the situation, and there's no telling when Steven will be able to deliver the information himself."

It was a thin lie, and although not wholly untrue, I expected someone to step up and call me out on my selfish request.

But Drake simply nodded sagely. "That's good thinking, Wallace."

"Yeah, you keep an eye on him for all of us," said Sidney, sparing one last glance back at the retreating stretcher. His hands were balled into fists, and the tremor in his voice held a deadly promise. "I'm gonna head back in there with Wattson's team. Give them a taste of what they have coming..."

Glacia, too, gave me a look of approval. "We'll continue to do our part here. Let us know when you've landed in Rustboro."

Three Elites, three blessings; I didn't need to hesitate any longer. With as much courage as I could muster, I met each of their gazes in turn.

"You have my word."

And I sprinted after the techs before I could change my mind.

* * *

The impromptu med bay of the helicopter was generously sized, and it was a simple task to find a bench seat on which to perch out of the way of the technicians as they worked.

As I sat there, I found myself unable to tear my eyes from the gurney even as my gut lurched at every new cut and bruise the medical personnel uncovered. I had to wonder why I would choose to do this to myself; to sit helplessly by my friend's side and witness the second-hand retelling of every bit of hell he had been through. And yet I knew that if I had not volunteered to join the medical crew, every second that Steven was out of my sight, my mind would torture me with visions of things far worse than what I was seeing right now.

No, this was the right decision. Not seeing it for myself would have been much more painful. And perhaps the faint fog of Steven's breath against the oxygen mask was enough to convince me that in the end, he was safe, and that's what truly mattered.

Satisfied that their patient's condition was stable, the tech's flurry of activity around the stretcher died down. Only then was I able to stop worriedly rolling Victoria's pokeball around in my hands and lift my aching body from my seat. Wordlessly, I approached Steven's side, not daring to tear my eyes from his face lest I miss the moment he regained consciousness.

I still don't know what possessed me to do so, but I slipped my hand into Steven's own and gave it a gentle squeeze. Maybe I was hoping he'd squeeze back, just enough to reassure me that things were going to be okay. But he didn't move.

As I drew back, the pit of my stomach dropped in much the same way his hand settled limply against the sheet. A somber punctuation mark to the horrible story of the last twenty four hours. I collapsed into the nearby seat and buried my head in my hands, feeling guilt well up that mine were warm and mobile and _alive_. So instead I turned my attention to the rise and fall of Steven's breathing, because he _was_ going to be okay. He was.

I couldn't say for sure, but it certainly felt as if I held my breath for the entire flight to Rustboro.


End file.
